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East TennsssBe 

Sketclies. 



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East Tennessee 

Sketches. 



BY 



Jecile and Slbcrt 6havannc6. 



ALBERT CHAVANNES. 

Knoxville, Tenn. 

1900. 



V-A^'- 



SKETCHES 

BY 

CECILE CHAVANNES. 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT page 1 
ADAIR CREEK NOTES '' 35 




Jp^^^cte^ ^/^i^u^t:c.^.ta.cjz^ 



CANYASSING THE DISTRICT. 



I. 

It was in the fall of 1892 that Mr. Chavannes 
and I started with horse and buggy, on our 
canvassing tour, f a' the purpose of enlighten- 
ing, and finally converting the people to the 
aims and beliefs of our new party, but with 
no expectation of gaining a seat in Congress. 
So when once the canvass was over and the 
votes counted, and Mr. Chavannes had been 
left far behind in the race, we could say with 
a good grace: ''Blessed are they who expect 
nothing, for they shall not be disappointed." 

However this is not what I started to write 
about, but of a few incidents noted in my 
memorandum book, during that never-to-be- 
forgotten month of canvassing. 

Mr. Chavannes was the speaker, I was the 
speaker's faithful companion and went with 
him in all these trips, to help him while away 
the long hours of driving from one place to 



2 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

another, to assist at the often hasty toilet 
before the speaking, and have a fresh collar 
at hand, or a pair of clean dry socks after a 
damp ride. The truth is that T was there 
because it was pleasanter that T should drive 
about with the candidate than remain behind, 
even if not alone. 

We generally started Monday mornings, 
being gone all week, and returning home for 
a change of clothes and rest on Sunday, after 
which we were ready to begin again our jour- 
neyings in another part of the district by 
Monday morning of the following week. As 
a matter of course we always stopped for 
rest at noon, sometimes by a spring of clear 
water, or by a babbling brook; and while Mr. 
Chavannes unhitched our faithful mare and 
fed her the shelled corn or oats we bad in 
store for her, I spread the lap robe on the 
grass, in the shade of a tree or in the genial 
sunshine, according to the temperature of the 
atmosphere, and laid out the lunch provided 
for that day. "What have we got to eat?" 
my companion would sometimes ask. "Bread 
and chocolate and apples," might be my ans- 
wer, or "cheese and crackers and those grapes 
you bought." But when we were fresh from 
home there was no need to ask, he knew we 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. 3 

would have sandwiches of home bread and 
roast meat, with apple turnovers and perhaps 
little cakes. 

But whatever it was it tasted good, for our 
appetites had been sharpened by a few hours 
of jolting over sometimes very rough roads, 
and we always enjoyed our noonings when 
after having eaten, Albert would stretch him- 
self full length for a nap while I took notes of 
our doings and surroundings, or read another 
chapter of the ever handy novel. Then when 
our time was up, and old Kate had had a 
drink as well as food, she was put back to 
the buggy while I gathered our belongings, 
and away we would start to stop no more 
till evening. 

At times we went to a hotel. Then again 
when far away from any town and night 
coming on, we had to beg to be received at 
some farm house, and food and shelter be 
provided for ourselves and our tired old Kate. 
And it was at some of these stopping places 
that many amusing incidents occurred which 
I will relate. 



EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 



II. 

One afternoon we were on a mountain pla- 
teau, the houses were far apart, and we de- 
cided that as there was no hope of getting to 
a hotel before night, we must ask for board 
and lodging at some private house. Conse- 
quently we stopped in front of the first res- 
pectable looking farm house we came to, a 
long, lojv building, surrounded by a garden, 
and good barn and outhouses beyond. ''Hal- 
loa !"called out Mr. Chavaniies after the south- 
ern fashion. ''I^alloa!" answered an old man 
showing himself on the front porch. '-Can we 
put up with you for the night?" was the next 
inquiry, while I wondered what sort of accom- 
modations we would get. "I reckon you can," 
was the old farmer's answer. "Get down and 
come in," and as we did so he came and help- 
ed carry our wraps and valise which were 
deposited on the porch, where by that time 
the lady of the house, in short cotton dress, 
check apron, and little cape over her shoul- 
ders, had made her appearance, and bade me 
come in, while the two men went to care for 
the mare. 

The furniture was plain, that was to be 
expected, but a bright fire burned in the wide 



CANVASSING THE DISTKICT. 5 

old fashioned hearth, although it was not cold, 
and gave cheerfulness to the otherwise sombre 
appearance of the room, which was bed cham- 
ber and sitting room in one. Two beds were 
in it besides a lounge on which reclined a 
young man, who we were told was half- 
witted, though quite harmless. Nevertheless 
I didn't like the way in which he piled old, 
dry shingles on the fire, and laughed child- 
ishly as he watched the sparks fly up. How- 
ever it was no use to worry, so I took my 
novel out of the grip and began to read, while 
the old lady went to prepare supper with a 
young woman living there, and the gentlemen 
who had come in discussed the topics of the 
day, that is, farming and politics. Among 
otiier things that they talked about, Mr. Cha- 
vannes asked the explanation of the presence 
of a large pile of coal we had noticed in the 
yard, and ^ ondered that they should use it 
on the farm. But the old man said there was 
so much coal all over that section of the 
country, and sold at such low rates, that it 
was easier and cheaper for him to haul coal 
from a small mine close by, than to cut wood 
from his own place. 

Presently I heard the old farmer say: ' Well, 
well, I thought you were travelling around 



6 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES* 

with a young- wife !" "Oh ! no," answered my 
husband. ''Why, how old do you suppose my 
wife is? And how long do you think we have 
been married?" But those were questions too 
hard for the poor man to answer, for he made 
no sign, only looked on expectant. "Why, 
we've been married over thirty-five years and 
we have grand children!" I exclaimed. But 
at that he looked more incredulous than ever, 
and we could not help but laugh at his comi- 
cal expression. And then Mr. Chavannes told 
him what he delights in telling on those oc- 
casions: that if I look younger than my years 
it is because I have such a good husband. 

That pleased the old farmer so much that 
he had to repeat it at the supper table, which 
groaned under the weight of the eatables piled 
upon it. Hog killing was just over at our 
hosts' and we had pork in every shape; boil- 
ed head, baked ribs, fried sausage, liver, and 
I forget what else, but enough meats to have 
appalled the most lenient vegetarian. How- 
ever we were in no wise dismayed, but picked 
out what suited us best, for there was some 
accompaniments to the meats, and fared well 
on such unusual diet. 

But a greater experience was in store for us. 
"When bed time arrived we wore told that the 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. 7 

bed at the further end of the sitting-room was 
ours, while the old couple occupied the other, 
and their half-witted son without bidding: 
made himself comfortable on the lounge, where 
indeed lie had laid most of the time. Here 
was a situation! and an awkward one too. 
Still I had expected that some time during 
our canvass such a thing might happen as 
our sharing somebody's sleeping room. And 
now it had come to pass and we m.ust make 
the best of it. As for the old people, it being 
nothing new to them, they put out the light 
and left the room for a while, leaving us to 
go to bed by the glow of the fire, after which 
they followed our example and all was quiet 
for the night. No, not quiet through the night, 
for the poor idiot kept groaning and mumbling 
to himself, and often getting up to go to the 
fire. 

But after all he did no mischief and what 
■^ith some sleeping and a good deal of lying 
awake, the night passed and before daylight 
had fairly come the farmer was up building 
the fire, and then he and his wife went out 
to their different avocations and left us free 
to proceed with our toilet, which under the 
circumstances was very quickly done. 

The family wash-bowl was on the porch. 



8 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

next to the pail of water and the towel on the 
roller, and also a comb was at hand, so what 
else could one want? Privacy, or rather the 
lack of it, did not seem to trouble these good 
people, so of course why should we care? 
Wei] that couldn't be helped, but excuse me 
from using combs and towels that are every- 
body's property, so we used our own on the 
sly and hurt nobody's feelings. And after 
another meal composed mostly of meats, we 
paid our bill and proceeded on our trip. 

IIT. 

Perhaps one of the most interesting and 
pleasing incidents of our six weeks' trip, was 
when we stopped at Major Howard's. We 
reached his place, to Avhich we had been di- 
rected by friends of the party, after sun down, 
and I expressed my fears to Mr. Chavannes 
that their supper hour was past and supper 
over. "Oh ! well," he said, "they'll give us 
something to eat all the same." I was sure 
of that, and also that probably these hospi- 
tably inclined people would deem it their duty, 
even at the cost of considerable inconvenience 
to themselves, to cook us another supper; 
which turned out to be the case. 
When we stopped in front of the house, whicli 



CANVASSING THE riSTKICT. 9 

was a better building than most of them in 
that part of the country, we inquired of some 
boys out in the yard if Major Howard was at 
home, and on being answ ered in tlie affirma- 
tive, the Major was called, we introduced our- 
selves, stated our errand, and were immedia- 
tely warmly welcomed by our host, who was 
a short dark man, rather quiet in manner, but 
a thorough gentleman of the old school. 

He invited us to come in and have no care 
for our horse and baggage. ''The boys will see 
to it, come in," he said. ''The boys will bring 
in your things." . But I had a few apples and 
lemons in the buggy which I did not mean 
the boys should even know of, so I brought 
them safely away in my hand bag. 

We were ushered in a large room, where 
in the spacious, old fashioned fire place burn- 
ed a bright flre of logs. By the fire was the 
Major's daughter in law with a baby in her 
lap, son and heir of the young people. The 
daughter of the house was there too, a good 
looking girl of eighteen or twenty, rather bash- 
ful, and quite willing to let the middle-aged 
housekeeper do the honors, for the Major was 
a widower. And last, though not least, were 
two or three little darkies rolling on the 
floor before the fire, and quite mixed up with 



10 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

as many dogs, all warming themselves and 
taking it easy after the manner of southern 
folks, and entirely unabashed l^y the entrance 
of strangers. 

That Major Howard looked upon these little 
darkies iis j^art of his family, and as having 
a right to a j)lace by his fireside was very 
evident, and equally so that these colored 
boys loved and respected him, children of 
servants as they were. ''Here boys, make 
room, make room," said the Major not un- 
kindly, and boys and dogs rolled a little out 
of the way toward the wall. "Have a seat, 
Madam," he then said to me, bowing and 
handing me a chair. ''You must be tired after 
your long ride." But I told him I wa:- not 
at all in a hurry to sit down then, having 
done that all the afternoon, so after taking 
off my wraps, I went over to the young mo- 
ther and talked with her and admired the 
baby, and the gentlemen talked politics. Then 
the housekeeper went to the kitchen and very 
soon it was evident that cooking was going 
on, and the door being open into the next 
room, I saw the table being set and "Oh ! dear, 
I wonder if all that is on purpose for us, or 
if the whole family hasn't yet eaten," was my 
inward thought as I kept on talking. 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. 11 

But it turned out to be all on purpose for 
Us, though host and housekeeper »at down to 
do the honors of the table. And such a supper 
as that was to be sure ! Three kinds of meat, 
mostly fried, also fried potatoes, stewed fruit 
and corn bread and hot biscuits, apple-butter 
and preserves, pie and cake, coffee and milk. 
Really one might have thought these good 
folks expected us and meant to give us the 
best they had. And we enjoyed the bountiful 
repast, accompanied as it was by many ex- 
cuses on the part of the housekeeper. ''I 
could have done better if I'd knowed you was 
coming," she said. "I just warmed the corn 
bread thinking you might like it. The Major 
he always wants it for his supper." And I 
showed her I appreciated it too by helping 
myself generously. 

Supper over we returned to the sitting room, 
the gentlemen still discussed politics, ways 
and means of accomplishing all that our 
party desired, and as the female portion of 
the household seemed not much given to talk- 
ing, I was rather silent myself. "All this is 
not interesting to you, Mrs. Chavannes?" said 
our host interrogatively. "Oh ! yes it is," I 
answered. "I like to learn all I can about 
the party." And Mr. Chavannes added : "My 



12 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

wife is used to hear me discuss, she always 
accompanies me wlien I speak." 

And all through the evening the boys rol- 
led and played on the floor, being called upon 
occasionally to put fresh logs on the fire, 
until no longer able to hold out against sleep, 
they suddenly yielded to the warm atmosphere 
of the room, and laying their heads on the 
sleeping dogs they lapsed into unconsciousness. 

After a while, fearing that I might unwit- 
tingly follow them in the land of dreams, for 
by this time the evening was far spent, I asked 
to be shown to our slee^jing room, and >«as 
taken by the daughter to a large room across 
the wide hall, opened country fasliion at both 
ends. This room was evidently the parlor 
though a bed was in it. Opposite the door 
was a huge fire place in which a few pine 
knots burning under and between an armful 
of green wood, gave for a time the semblance 
of a bright, warm fire. "What a nice room 
this is!" I said to the girl. "Do you play?" 
For there was not only one, but two organs 
in the room. "Very little," she answered. 'T 
am taking lessons." And I couldn't persuade 
her to give me a sample of wliat she could 
do. Then as I looked around the room I 
iioticed the incongruity of some of its furnish- 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. 13 



ings. Aside from the organs the furniture 
was very plain, the walls were nicely papered 
but on them hung gg^udy colored chromos. A 
rich lambrequin of &ilk adorned the mantel- 
piece, on whicli were little plaster figures 
among: paper flowers, pliotographs and home 
made little ornaments, all out of keeping with 
the lambrequin and organ covers. 

And last of all, in my discoveries, was a 
large and beautiful j hotograph album resting 
of all places in the world, on the cuspidor 
near the wall. "Well I declare! This beats 
all I ever saw!" was my mental ejaculation. 
But to the girl I praised all I could conscient- 
iously praise, and she soon left me to my 
reflections and investigations as to where the 
washstand could be. But that was too hard 
a problem to be solved that night and I left 
it till morning. 

By the time Mr. Chavannes joined me the 
pine knots had burned themselves out with- 
out doing any injury to the green wood. Our 
host's thoughtfulness however was appreciated, 
but as it was not cold we did not miss the 
fire and soon were in oblivion of all our 
surroundings. 

Next morning there was nothing to do but 
dress entirely and go out in quest of the 



14 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

family wash place, which was likely to be on 
the back porch. Mr. Chavannes who was ready 
first went out sayino^ confidently : ''I know I 
can find all I need." "Well then, here is a 
towel," said I, taking one from the grip, "only 
please bring it back when you are done." 

But before I could follow him there was a. 
knock at the door and the bashful young 
lady came in carrying a basin of water which 
she deposited on a chair, and laid a clean 
towel on the back of it. ''Oh ! thank you," I 
exclaimed, "but J am sorry you took the 
trouble, I could have gone on the porch." "It 
is no trouble," she answered smiling, "do you 
need anything else?" I assured her I did 
not, feeling thankful that my handglass had 
been put in my grip, for not a sign of a mir- 
ror was there in the room, and how can one 
fasten a breast pin, or put up their hair with- 
out a bit of looking glass? 

Well! as soon as ready I went to the sitting 
room, where Mr. Chavannes, who as expected 
had found all the necessaries for his toilet on 
the back porch, had preceded me, and there 
I also found most of the family assembled, 
the Major with his back to the fire, talking 
to my husband at the same time that he 
combed his hair with a little tjl^ck comb. 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. 16 

"Good morning- Madam," said our host 
making room for me by the fire. "Good mor- 
ning, did you rest well?" ''Yes indeed," I 
answered. "I slept very well and feel rested." 
Then quite suddenly, handing me the comb 
from which he had been wiping off the hair, 
he said: "Will you have a comb?" T sup- 
pressed a gasp and tried to answer naturally, 
''no thank you, T brought my combs." But dear 
me I couldn't the man see that my hair was 
freshly combed? 

•'Perhaps," he continued, "you are like my 
wife, she always took a comb with her when 
she spent the night away from home, was 
afraid of scalp disease." "Oh ! it isn't that," 
I hastened to answer mendaciously. "But I 
always carry with me those articles of toilet 
whenever I travel." And Mr. Chavannes cor- 
roborated what T said, not wishing to have 
the old man's feelings hurt. "Oh ! it's all 
right, it's all right," he rejoined, "and I think 
my wife was right too." 

And then came breakfast as bountiful as 
the supper had been, and very soon after we 
bade good by to our kind-hearted host and 
his family, to whom it would have been an 
insult to offer pay, and took our seat in the 
l>^g§:y which as a matter of course stoo4 



16 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

ready at the front gate. Our good old mare, 
refreshed by a good night's rest, good feed and 
grooming, whinnied when she saw ns, and 
soon we were on our way towards new scenes, 
new people and new experiences. No matter 
where we stopx^ed we were well received, but 
nowhere, perhaps, with the same courtesy and 
hospitality of the southern planter as at Major 
Howard's. 

IV. 

Once during our canvassing tour we stopped 
at a Methodist Minister's, without being aware 
of the fact until we had been in the house 
some little time. 

It happened the day that Mr. Chavannes 
by appointment spoke in the Court House at 
Mary ville, where we stopped at noon, and in- 
stead of our out door lunch had a substan- 
tial dinner at the Jackson House. I did not 
attend the speaking that time, as it seemed 
not to be customary for ladies to go to the 
Court House in that little place, but as com- 
pensation I found some splendid reading in 
the parlor of the hotel, magazines and perio- 
dicals, and spent a very pleasant hour till it 
was time to start again. 

This afternoon driving was in a part of the 



CANVASSINa THE DISTKICT. 17 

country entirely unk,nown to us. The roads 
were good and the weather delightful, but no 
matter how fast we might drive there was no 
chance of our reaching our next place of meet- 
ing that night. So we had to depend on the 
kindness of some well-to-do farmer to take 
us in. "And we'll have to be on the look out 
early for a place to stop," said Mr. Chavannes, 
"for it won't do to let darkness overtake us 
in these unknown regions." (I should mention 
that the houses were far apart.) 

Accordingly before it. was fairly sundown, 
we reined up in front of a large barn where 
several men were engaged in examining pieces 
of machinery. "Any chance of staying all 
night with you?" inquired my. companion. 
But the answer was not promptly forthcoming; 
there was even surprise and doubt expressed 
on the countenances of the men. Perhaps 
they were wondering what kind of people we 
were to be asking for hospitality. So Mr. 
Chavannes went on to explain that we were 
going from Maryville to Dandridge, and were 
strangers in that part of the country, and 
couldn't they take us in? "All right, I reckon 
you can stay," drawled out the boss, a tall, 
dark man, who probably by this time had 
made up his mind that we were no runaway 



18 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

couple. "Drive on a bit," he added. So we 
drove on in front of the house where some 
flowers were still blooming, and mine host 
himself came to take care of the horse. 

Not long after, as we two sat on the porch 
reading and looking about us, Albert exclaim- 
ed, "Well! we are in for it. Here is a newspaper 
which shows that our host won't agree with 
us." "That is too bad, it comes of not knowing 
just where to stop," was my answer. But Mr. 
Chavann^s did not ca.re, "as we had stopped, 
there we should stay. Whatever is, is best." 
Our bit of conversation had been carried on 
in French, to the amusement no doubt, of a 
niece of our host, for she looked at us in- 
quiringly with wide open eyes, saying plainly: 
"What manner of folks are you?" But we 
didn't enlighten her, and when the owner 
came in he proved much more genial than 
our first impression of him had led us to 
believe. In the course of the evening he told 
us of having been a circuit preacher for more 
than twenty years, his wife sometimes accom- 
panying him, and when not, spending her 
time on the farm. 

He also told us of having been in districts 
where thore was sickness caused by milk 
poisoning, and how by dint of much studying 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. 19 

and experimenting on such cases as he could 
get hold of, he mastered the disease and be- 
came famous among these people. 

The supposition is that in certain localities 
there exists a mineral poison which affects 
the grass on which the cattle feed, and is 
through the milk communicated to the people, 
though the cows themselves do not seem to 
suffer. The first thing to do was to isolate 
these portions of the ground by building 
fences around, and for the sufferers he urged 
purgatives in the first place, and strong tonics 
next. And when his directions were followed 
the sick recovered. 

So after all we spent a very pleasant eve- 
ning with the Minister and his wife, and at 
its close there was family prayers where the 
blessing of God was invoked upon us as "the 
strangers within our gates", which petition 
might be favorable to us and certainly could 
do us no barm. And the next morning Mr. 
Lane took my husband over his farm, showed 
him his improvements, stock, etc., while his 
wife expatiated on the yield of the orchard, 
and told me all she did with her fruit. 

But at the time of starting we had a ge- 
nuine surprise. When Mr. Chavannes inquired 
of the preacher what our bill was, he made 



20 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

the answer: "Nothing at all, I never charge 
candidates." For of course the object of our 
trip had been mentioned, and he couldn't but 
see that all the pamphlets and papers we had 
in the buggy to be distributed on the way 
meant some business. "Oh ! that's all right 
when they belong to your party,'' exclaimed 
Mr. Chavannes, "but it don't apply to me." 
"Yes it does," rejoined Mr. Lane, "it is against 
my principles to charge candidates. You are 
welcome to what you have had." So with 
many thanks we took leave of these kind 
people and continued our journey. 

But another time when we almost forced 
ourselves on strangers for the night, they 
turned out to bo warm and zealous members 
of our new party, who entertained us royally 
after their fashion. 

We had been far away from liome, and were 
on our return taking short cuts across hills 
and valleys, where the roads were very rough 
and where indeed we were not always sure 
of being on the right track, and had to ask 
directions, and also as to where there would 
be a chance to stay all night. "You might 
stop at Mr. Allen," we were told, "he has 
plenty of room." "Accommodation for my 
horse too?" inquired Mr. Chavannes who 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. 21 

would rather have inconvenienced himself 
than to let our faithful quadruped suffer. *'Oh! 
jes, plenty of room, and feed too," was the 
cheery answer. But when we stopped with 
our usual query in front of the Allen house, 
the owner proved to be of a different opinion. 
Was crowded, there was sickness, etc. "Well," 
persisted my companion, "couldn't you just 
give us a room? We'll board ourselves." No, 
he couldn't do that. "Why, look here,'' at 
last explained the man, "there's a woman 
being confined in this house; you surely don't 
want to impose yourself at such a time?" 
"Oh! of course not," hastily answered Mr. 
Chavannes, as I whispered to him: ''For 
goodness' sake, Albert, don't urge it any more. 
Let us go on, and if the worse comes to the 
worst we can always camp out." But as that 
wasn't the way in which Mr. Chavannes meant 
we should spend the evening or night, al- 
though it wouldn't have been the first time 
for us, be still asked for information and di- 
rections as to getting to the nearest house. 

^'Oh! there's Squire Sea.rle a little ways off," 
said Mr. Allen, looking somewhat relieved 
to find that we gave up trying to force our- 
selves upon him. ''Ke'll take you in, I know, 
has plenty of room and not much family." 



22 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

Indeed the champion of his own rights grew 
quite enthusiastic over his neighbor's hospita- 
lity, and from the way he urged us to go 
and stop there, it was evident he wished to 
get rid of us as soon as possible. 

AJl this time we sat in the buggy, the main 
highway far behind us, for we had taken a 
private road through Mr. Allen's property to 
reach his house. And now to help us to get 
to our destination before night, he showed us 
a nearer way through his fields, and we glad- 
ly took it after apologizing for having troubled 
him, but nevertheless grumbling a little at 
having to lengthen our day's journey; espe- 
cially as we had learned by experience that 
"a little ways off" might mean one or even 
two miles. It proved to be only one mile 
this time but darkness had set in as we 
reached the Squire's house, having been many 
times delayed by the opening and shutting of 
gates. We could hardly see each others' faces 
as we talked to the woman who answered 
o'lr call, and who hesitatingly permitted us 
to stay. It was plain that if she could have 
sent us onward she would have done so, but 
the fast coming night was in our favor, and 
Mr. Chavannes so bent on stopping anyhow, 
that before a man could be summoned to 



CANVASSING TPIE DISTRICT. 23 

Avait on us, he had taken Kate out of the 
shafts and was leading her to the harn where 
the woman had directed. 

Very soon I found that the lady of the 
house had spent the afternoon away from 
home, and was only just back, and was doint^ 
her work alone. So finding her nice and kind- 
ly disposed, I volunteered to help her in the 
kitchen where I had followed her. "I won't 
have to cook much," she said, "there's plenty 
of cold victuals," for I had begged her not to 
put herself to any trouble on our account. 
But the inevitable southern biscuits had to be 
made and baked and brought smoking hot on 
the table, which she had let me set in the 
roomy kitchen. 

There were several men in the Squirt's 
household, and at supper the conversation was 
on general topics, Mr. Chavannes being cau- 
tious on the subject of politics, for not know- 
ing to what party these people belonged, he 
wouldn't have antagonized with them who, 
for the time being, were putting a roof over 
our heads. But quite unexpectedly our new 
party was mentioned in a friendly manner by 
one of the family — a somewhat unusual occur- 
rence in those days — and this immediately 
opened the way for better acquaintance on 



24 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

both sides. And when the Squire found where 
Mr. Chavannes stood, and what doing, he was 
delighted. "I'm real glad to have you here," 
he said. "You're the very man we want; we 
have been trying to send a speaker to Jones- 
ville, but didn't know where to find him." 
And then followed inquiries and statements 
as to the feelings of the people of those re- 
gions, and Mrs. Searle even neglected to milk 
her cows, the longer to visit with us. "Let 
me help you," I said to her. "I know how to 
milk." But "no, no, the cows don't give much 
milk and can wait, and I'm not needing it," 
wa.s the answer. 

So what awkwardness there had been at 
first, in being uninvited guests among stran- 
gers, passed away as we realized that- these 
people were truly friendly. And the evening 
was spent pleasantly, the men staying to talk 
long after the ladies had retired for the night. 
The next morning arrangements were made 
for a speaking at Jonesville the following 
week, and when we left those new-made 
friends, who wouldn't hear to our paying our 
bill, it was with pressing invitations to come 
and visit them again. But time was short 
and we couldn't go twice to the same place, 
nor have we had occasion to see them since. 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. 26 



V. 

Our trip to Jonesville was effected the week 
following our visit to the Squire's, but we did 
not reach our destination without experien- 
cing some anxious moments. 

We had left home early on Monday mor- 
ning, late in October. Frost was on the ground 
and in the air, making it doubly comfortable 
to pull the heavy lap robe up and around us, ' 
so as to keep in all the warmth we were ^^.^ 
starting with. But in spite of the mist it was , 
delightful to drive in that cool, bracing air 
which strengthened us for the coming heat 
of the day. For when the sun did pierce the 
frosty atmosphere and dispelled the mist, we 
realized that his rays had lost none of their 
potency, and wondered that we could have 
dreamed' of being cold when we first started. 

At noon we stopped at the edge of a creek, 
where was plenty of evidence that other 
campers had been before us. The remnants . 
of a fire were there, also some grains of corn 
and oats were scattered about, and gave oc- 
cupation to some little pigs who seemed to 
be having a fine time, trying no doubt to see 
which could find the most grains in tlie least 
time, so busy did they show themselves. They 



28 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

even proposed to share Kate's dinner, and 
though she might have made no remonstrance, 
we strongly objected to it and kept the ob- 
noxious litter at a safe distance, else our ovi^n 
lunch would have gone the way of the grain. 

The road to Jonesville lay past Oliver's 
Brick House, a hotel at which we had stop- 
ped on our wedding trip, many, many years 
ago, and which I at least, had never seen 
since. But so many changes had taken place 
in the surrounding country that I never would 
have recognized the place. And as it happen- 
ed, we were just in time to see it once more, 
for when a few days later we drove by on 
our return, nothing was left of that old and 
well-known building but a heap of ruins. It 
had burned to the ground the night before, 
and was still smoking when we went past. 

It was late in the afternoon when we reach- 
ed Oliver Spring, a little village insignificant 
in itself, but of some importance as a rail- 
road station in a mining district, and also for 
being a summer resort on account of its mi- 
neral waters. There Mr. Chavannes inquired 
at a store how far yet to Jonesville, and was 
told that it was five or six miles. What a 
disappointment! For we had exi^ected that 
two or three miles would bring us to our 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. 27 

destination. "If that is the case," said he 
coming back to the buggy where I sat wait- 
ing, "we have no time to lose. Old Kate is 
tired and cannot travel very fast, but we 
must be going on." And on we went facing 
the sun, leaving the main thoroughfare and 
turning to the left into a road by no means 
smooth, and which soon took us to low lands 
and a winding creek, that we had to cross 
several times. That rather retarded our pro- 
gress, but the shade from the trees bordering 
the creek was too welcome for us to quarrel 
with the unevenness of the road. 

Although acting as if we still had a long 
way to go, Mr. Chavannes had his doubts of 
the correctness of the information, and we 
had not gone far before he inquired of a far- 
mer taking an airing in his front yard : "How 
far do you call it to Jonesville?" "Oh! I 
dunno, 'bout two miles, I reckon," was the 
unexpected answer. '*I thought the other 
man didn't get it right," said my companion, 
"though this one perhaps errs in the opposite 
direction, and we may yet be many miles 
from our stopping place, so there must be no 
loitering on the way." 

Soon we left the low, shady road and came 
to rising ground very rough, sometimes rocky, 



28 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

and gradually getting steeper, and of course 
more trying to our faithful mare, who could 
no longer stand whr?t she did in her youth, 
and to whom we talked encouragingly, but 
who had to stop once in a while for a breath- 
ing spell. 

It was still warm and Mr. Chavannes began 
to be uneasy for her. '^'m afraid Kate can't 
do it," he finally said, ''even if she holds out 
she can't travel fast enough to take us to 
Jonesville in time. We'll have to stop on 
the way and get another horse." ''In that 
case," I suggested, ''hadn't you better go on 
horseback? Never mind me, I'll wait till you 
come back." But it was easy to talk of get- 
ling another horse, though not quite so easy 
to find him, for houses began to be few and 
far between. Though some of the land was 
under culture, a great deal also lay waste, 
and occasionally we went through a bit of 
woodland, seeing or meeting no one. 

At last when the sun went down the air 
became cooler, the roads better, and old Kate 
picked up a little energy. About that time 
we had the chance of asking a man we met 
on the road, how far it was to Jonesville? 
"Oh! about three miles," was the discourag- 
ing answer. (Wo liad certainly already tra- 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. 29 

veiled five miles since we left Oliver St rings.) 
"Oh ! dear !" I exclaimed all out of heart. ''We 
shall never get there in time." "I wouldn't 
mind so much if the speaking hadn't been 
given out," Mr. Chavannes said, '*but there's 
no help for it; we must reach somewhere 
to-night, whether I speak or not, but I don't 
w^ant to disappoint the people if I can help it." 
And so we went on driving and discussing 
our chances of getting to Jonesville that eve- 
ning, congratulating ourselves that we had 
come to the end of those long steep hills", and 
in every way trying to keep up our flaj>ging 
spirits, when suddenly in the stillness of the 
fast coming twilight, we heard the lowing of 
cattle not far off. "Oh! good!". I exclaimed, 
"we must be near some farm house, I'm sure, 
and can't be far from Jonesville." And then 
as we turned a corner in the road and dis- 
cerned a barn at close proximity, we also 
heard distinctly the ringing of a bell in the 
distance. "What do you suppose that means?" 
I inquired of my companion. "Well! I imagine 
they are ringing to call the people to the 
speaking," he answered rather confidently. 
"And the speaker not there!" I exclaimed. 
*'Did you ever!" "That shows they expect 
him, and it's so far encouraging," rejoined 



30 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

Mr. Chavannes. "It is only to be hoped that 
Mr. Ball lives not far from the Hall or school 
house, or wherever I am to speak. Anyway 
we'll soon get there. So hurry up Kate." By 
this time we could discern lights ahead, and 
in a little while we came to a knoll on which 
was situated the school house, whose big 
bell had not ceased ringing. 

A crowd of men and boys were standing 
around. Mr. Chavannes accosted them, ascer- 
tained they were getting together for a speak- 
ing, introduced himself as the speaker, and 
then inquired the way to our friend Ball, that 
a willing lad volunteered to show us. And 
as we proceeded on our way, Mr. Chavannes 
called out to the crowd: "Don't be discourag- 
ed boys, as soon as I've put up my horse and 
had a bite of supper, I'll come and speak to 
you." "All right." "We'll wait," and "hur- 
rah !" was heard from many mouths in a way 
that proved the people were interested, and 
was very comforting after the last hour or 
two of anxiety we had gone through. And 
when we finally reached our stopping place, 
Mr. Ball who had just got back from a ten 
miles trip made us heartily welcome. 

He had two boys by a former marriage, 
and they with their father and Mr. Chavannes 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. .31 

went to the barn to care for the horses, leav- 
ing me with Mrs. Ball and her baby. She was 
a pleasant faced womai, with kindly manners, 
but not a bit of style about her, nor much 
education. But my! what proportions! I had 
never since my young days seen such a re- 
markable bust. She reminded me of the 
Brazillian Donnas I had often seen in their 
own country, and thought them wonders of 
flesh and blood. The next morning when Mrs. 
Ball was nursing her baby, I couldn't resist 
saying to her that I thought she might share 
her good things with those who were not so 
well endowed by nature, which made her 
blush and say shyly she "didn't know why 
she was that way." 

But this isn't writing of things in their pro- 
per order. Mr. Chavannes had been expected, 
but it wasn't known that I would come, and 
some excuses were made about accommoda- 
tions not being probably what I was used to. 
"We are plain folks," explained Mr. Ball, 
"live plain and do the work ourselves." This 
was said as we went in the kitchen which 
was dining room and store room as well, for 
there, heaped up in a corner, were bushels 
upon bushels of sweet potatoes, undergoing 
their "sweat" before being put away for the 



32 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

winter; but I assured our host that we were 
used to work too, and were not afraid of plain 
living; and I think they became convinced, 
before we left, of the truth of my assertions. 

The supper was eaten somewhat hurriedly, 
so as to be in good time at the school house. 
All were going except Mrs. Ball and her baby. 
"I had better take a lamp too," said Mr. Ball 
as he lit the lantern before starting. "We 
may need it over there." And sure enough 
we did, and were glad of the light of that 
extra lamp among the very few that were 
there, brought by some thoughtful neighbors. 

This school house in which Mr. Chavannes 
was going to speak — by no means a stereo- 
typed speech — was a log building, rough walls 
inside and out, with a few windows to give 
light in the day time, and at night the aud- 
ience depended entirely upon the lamps and 
lanterns of their members, if they didn't for- 
get to bring them. Perhaps it often happened 
that they did, as on that particular occasion,' 
for the lanterns were few and far between that 
hung on the walls, and many corners were 
left in the darkness of shadows. But on a 
raised platform was a little table on which 
Mr. Ball set his lamp for the benefit of the 
speaker. There was a fire in the stove which 



CANVASSING THE DISTRICT. 33 

stood in the middle of the room, and I sat 
according to my wont, at a little distance 
where I could watch both the speaker and 
the audience. This last was composed mo tly 
of men, eager listeners, as I was glad to see. 
Also some women, who had brought their 
little children along rather than miss the 
mild excitement a ''speaking^' brought in their 
neighborhood. 

This ¥as one of the occasions when Mr. 
Chavannes had an unusually appreciative au- 
dience, and at the end of his hour or hour 
and a half of speaking, many crowded around 
him for congratulations, explanations, etc.^ 
And on our return to the Balls in company 
with their neighbors I heard occasionally 
such expressions as ''fine speaker!" "'Never 
heard better." "That's what I call good prac- 
tical advice," etc., which was all very grati- 
fying, for Mr. Chavannes was in earnest about 
enlightening the people, and it was a pleasure 
to find he was appreciated. 

Here again we had to share the same sleep- 
ing room as our hosts, and as on a former 
occasion we took it in turnabout having some 
privacy about disrobing and getting into bed. 
But unlike that other time \^ e slept soundly, 
nn such a thick feather bed! and were hardly 



34 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

disturbed by the baby crying for his midnight 
lunch. The next morning was a repetition 
of former experiences which were no longer 
new, and after a plain though substantial 
breakfast, we bade goodby to our hosts, after 
thanking them heartily for their kindness in 
entertaining us, and went on to other ap- 
pointments which were to close our canvassing 
tour. 



ADAIE. CREEK NOTES. 
I. 

Dear friend: As you have expressed the 
hope that you will visit us some time, I want 
to tell you something: of our home and sur- 
roundings, way of living, etc., for you will 
find many things very different here in the 
South to what they are in your Northern home. 
Although we have lived in this part of the 
country for over thirty years, yet after a six 
years' stay in the North, we had to get used 
again to a great deal that was like new to us, 
though we had no trouble learning to enjoy 
once more the mild, short winters. Why! 
think how pleasant it is to go out, as we did 

NOTE. "Adair Creek Notes" were written many years 
ago as a contribution to Tlie Sociologist, a Monthly Ma- 
gazine I was publishing at the time. They covered many 
subjects, and were received with much favor by my sub- 
scribers, and I hope that the few I reprint here will prove 
as acceptable to our readers. Since they were written 
Adair Creek has been absorbed by the growth of Knox- 
ville, and the post-oflice of that name replaced by the 
free delivery, while the turnpike is now a street and is 
called Broadway. — Albert Chavannes. 



EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 



yesterday, in midwinter, with a party of 
friends, and put on no extra wraps — only our 
hiats, that is, the ladies put on hats, and I 
being- at home, wore my gingham bonnet. 

Well! before I describe our home, I must 
tell you how to get there. As you know, we 
live on a farm a little more than two miles 
north of Knoxville. As you leave the city 
you travel on a turnpike, on both sides 
of which are built pretty cottages, that are 
for the most part one or two story frame 
houses, the taste and means of the owners de- 
ciding the shape, size and outside decorations; 
a few assume the gothic style, and all look 
neat and inviting. 

As you leave the city in the distance, the 
houses are further apart; we have seen the 
building of most of them in the last twelve 
years, for when we first returned from the 
state of New York, some parts of the road 
were so isolated that I would not let my 
thirteen-year-old daughter make the trip 
alone. 

There are no telegraph wires on this road, 
but we boast of a telephone in the neighbor- 
hood, for the benefit of a gristmill that stands 
on a creek, about a half mile from our house. 
Over that creek is a good, high bridge, called 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 37 

Long Bridge, not that it is particularly long, 
but because on the same creek, further on, 
are three more bridges, and this one being 
longer than the others, was given the name 
of Long Bridge. 

Standing on it, on a bright sunshiny day, 
one gets such a pretty view of the water-fall 
and the pond beyond, on which skaters from 
Knoxville have sometimes tried their skill, 
such winters as the ice has been thick enough 
to make skating safe. But that water-fall is 
a pretty sight when the sun shines on it, for 
the sheet of water is fifteen feet high, and 
below it is a large rock which catches the 
falling drops and sends them up again glit- 
tering in the light; often have we stopped to 
admire it on our way to and from town. 

And right here is quite a picturesque bit 
of scenery, especially noticeable as } ou walk 
on beyond the bridge, and come to a little 
knoll by the side of the road which has been 
cut almost through, the hill; this last rises 
abruptly on one side of the road, while down 
on the other side is the mill-pond, which ex- 
tends some distance along the turnpike, and 
beyond that are the fields, and then wooded 
hills or ridges; for we have left city lots be- 
hind and come to cultivated farms. 



38 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

On the banks of the pond are some large 
fine oak, elm and sycamore trees, and we 
have many times watched fishermen and boys, 
both white and black, sitting under their 
shade and waiting patiently for the bite of 
fish which would not be caught; when how- 
ever patience did have its reward, it was in 
the shape of small perches and suckers that 
I have no doubt the fishing people enjoyed 
taking home. 

As you walk on, you will see in the dis- 
tance, on the opposite side of the pond, the 
district school house, built three years ago; 
it sei-ves for day-school, Sunday-school and 
occasionally for preaching; also for debates, 
where the young and middle-aged bring forth 
their powers of elocution, and sometimes oc- 
casion such bursts of laughter as it would 
please you to hear; we have also been present 
at some good school exhibitions and concerts 
given in that building. 

And in connection with it, I must tell you 
of a picnic we had on the occasion of choos- 
ing the location for the school-house; there 
were three lots offered, and it was hard to 
decide which would be best, so this neighbor- 
hood picnic was gotten up as an inducement 
for the people to come out and help in the 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 39 

decision. I remember that a few were very 
much interested in the school business', but 
the greater part had come to enjoy themselves, 
roam about and have fun generally, and I 
don't blame them; it was a beautiful day 
and the place well chosen for a picnic. We had 
no table, but just spread table-cloths on the 
ground, and on them arranged an inviting 
supper of cold meats, bread, cakes and pies, 
and everything that one usually takes to a 
picnic, and the party did ample justice to the 
meal, and showed their appreciation of all 
the good things which had been brought; the 
water we had to carry from down the hill, 
our springs being all in the valley, and not 
as in New York state, on the hill-side. 

Well! the school question was decided by 
vote, and the land given by a resident in the 
neighborhood, a gentleman from the North, 
who came here many years ago and married 
and settled here; his house on the hill, sur- 
rounded a^ it is by tall trees, helps to make 
up the picturesque scenery I was telling you of. 

Now as we go on and leave the school-house 
on the left, we come to a blacksmith shop 
and another grist-mill, with sycamore and 
cedar trees all around it. The creek runs just 
behind it and in some places is almost hid 



40 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

from view by the trees and bushes, and as 
it runs rapidly on its course, it makes num- 
berless murmuring- cataracts; I have many 
times gathered mosses and creepers along its 
banks and stepped across the stream upon 
rocking stones, and wished I might go bare- 
foot like so many children, and not mind a 
little wetting; but I must say there is a good 
foot-bridge, three feet wide, to cross over to 
the school-house, which is on high ground: 

And now, here is the toll-gate, with its old 
fashioned pole and office; the gate keeper's 
house is but a step from it, on the other side 
of the mill-race, over which a little private 
bridge has been built. In summer both sides 
of that bridge are lined with flower pots con- 
taining blooming geraniums, fuchsias, begon- 
ias and other flowers. Not far from the toll- 
gate is the country store, where is sold a 
little of everythidg, from the necessary groce- 
ries to queensware, dry goods and notions; 
we can even get fresh meats there in winter, 
which is a great convenience to us who do 
not go to the city every day. 

Right here in the store is tlie Adair Creek 
post-office, established only two years ago; it 
stands as a center to about fifteen or twenty 
houses, scattered within half a mile and 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 41 

Which goes by the name of Adair Creek neigh- 
borhood. They have nearly all been built 
since we came to live here, so the people are 
well known to us, and very pleasant friends 
and neighbors they have always been; we 
have occasional gatherings at the house of 
one or the other, and although there are many 
different opinions on most subjects, nothing 
unpleasant occurs to mar the friendly inter- 
course. 

Our neighborhood is rather a mixed one; 
some of the people have come from the North 
and Eastern states, others from Ohio and 
Missouri, many are the children and grand- 
children of some of the first settlers in this 
part of the country; some are farmers, a few 
work in the mills, one is store-keeper and 
post-master, several are day laborers, we also 
have a doctor, but T am glad to say there is 
not much need for his services. It is a healthy 
neighborhood, the people work and enjoy them- 
selves, and though there are no idle ones, nei- 
ther are there any so bent on making money 
that they cannot take pleasure along with the 
work. You know that is the way we enjoy 
the most, to have recreation alternate with 
work, and I believe in first making work plea- 
sant, so it won't be looked upon as a hard task. 



42 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

One of the few old houses is built of brick 
on the other side of the creek, and has a 
commanding- appearance with its high old- 
fashioned windows and heavy pillars support- 
ing the porches ; there are tall poplars around 
the house and some large old cedars with low 
spreading branches, and in the front yard are 
more violets and myrtle than I ever saw any- 
where else. The owner is a gentleman from 
the North, he keeps a dairy and takes the 
milk in Knoxville every day; in summer his 
wife often takes his place and delivers the 
milk that he may have more time to spend 
on his farm. 

T have taken you slowly along, dear friend, 
that I might tell you of everything which 
would interest you, but we are now very near 
home ; there is, however, one more stream to 
cross, very narrow this time, for it is only 
the water from our spring, so there is no need 
of a regular bridge ; two or three planks have 
bee n raised on one side of the road and ans- 
wer the purpose very well. 

And now, on the right you can see our 
house, but before we reach it we go by a place, 
on the left, which we have thought to be one 
of the prettiest this side of Knoxville. For 
not many years ago it was our home, which 



ABAIK CREEK NOTES. 43 

We had built and fashioned with our own 
hands; it is there that we went to live when 
we returned to this neighborhood, ^nd it was 
a rather wild spot when we began to build 
on it, so much so that when we selected the 
location for the house, I had to gather my 
skirts close to me so as not to leave any part 
among the briars. But the place did not long 
retain its wild looks, we worked and improved 
it year after year as our time, strength and 
means permitted, and when we exchanged it 
for our present home we had built a pretty 
cottage with a picket fence around it, made 
winding gravel walks in the front yard, with 
flower beds alongside, which it was my plea- 
sure and my pride to care for, we had grape 
vines and fruit trees, and had made a very 
comfortable and pretty looking home, where 
now lives the family with whom we exchang- 
ed farms. There were many natural advan- 
tages on the place, one attractive feature be- 
ing the creek which runs at the back of it^ 
and sT) many fine large trees scattered on its 
rocky banks, but the graceful weeping-willow 
near the house is one that we planted our- 
selves a few years ago, and which has grown 
so fast as to be now quite a large tree. 



44 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 



11. 

Dear friend: I will now tell you about 
our home, the one where we are living now. 
When \^e came to it three years ago, our 
friends and relations raised quite an outcry, 
and thought we were doing a foolish thing to 
leave a place on which ^e were doing well 
and come to one where all improvements and 
embellishments had jet to be made; but we 
begged them to remember that we had good 
reasons for our doings, and not to pass judg- 
ment until they had come to visit us in our 
new home, for you see at that time we held 
religious Sunday meetings, at regular inter- 
vals, with our Swiss friends; and it was also 
basket meeting, for each family would bring 
their dinner, and we would put them all toge- 
ther and have a picnic which we enjoyed very 
much. 

So the first time our friends came to this 
place they quite changed their minds about 
the farm, and about our doings, for although 
the house was, and is not attractive, there are 
many natural beauties around it in the shape 
of fine old trees, a good, cold spring of lime 
stone water, and running water in the pastures, 
all of which advantages are not often found 



ADAIK CREEK NOTES. 45 

on a farm so near the city, and as our inten- 
tion in coming liere was to keep a dair^^ we 
were glad to secure tiiese conveniences, and 
at first put up with a little discomfort about 
the house. 

This farm joins one we owned during the 
war, and which we sold long ago, and when 
after my marriage I came to live in this 
neighborhood, the place we now live on was 
the property and home of an old widow lady 
with a crippled son and three unmarried 
daughters, themselves old ladies in my youth- 
ful eyes; they were kind, hospitable people, 
and much loved in the neighborhood. 

The house they lived in was a large, old 
log house, near it stood a loom house, further 
off there was an old barn, and some out- 
buildings, a spring house, etc., but everything 
looked dilapidated and neglected. 

There was at the back of the house an old- 
fashioned garden, with old cedars along one 
side of it, where the daughters raised what 
vegetables the.y needed, also a little corn and 
potatoes, etc., but it was hard work for them 
and yet there was no help for it, At that 
time fields were not so easily rented as they 
are now, and as there was no one in the 
family to take hold and manage affairs and 



46 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

work the farm, which was then very large, 
everything was much neglected; the fences 
were old and broken down, the fields were 
overrun with sassafras and other sprouts, also 
with broom-sedge, a kind of grass peculiar to 
the South and which the cattle will not eat 
except when it is tender and green. So you 
see the good people had some trouble in 
making both ends meet, and to help them 
one year the neighbors got together to raise 
a crop on the MacCampbell place, and they 
worked it in turn through the summer until 
the corn was gathered. 

I have wanted to give you an idea of how 
the place looked twenty-five years ago, when 
we used to come to it often, the distance 
between the two farms not being considerable 
and the way mostly through shady woods, 
which are now a thing of the past, for the 
land is all under cultivation. But then it was 
so pleasant to walk over to visit the old ladies 
and have a quiet chat with them, at first 
carrying our little baby daughter, then later 
leading two little ones by the hand, and these 
kind ladies always made us welcome. 

I remember how Mrs. MacCampbell told us 
of her mother hiding in the woods, with her 
and other children, to keep out of the way 



A DA IK CKEEK NOTES. 47 

of Indians, who about seventy-five years aj?o 
were yet disturbing the first settlers in that 
part of tlie country. 

Well, Mrs. MacCampbell died soon after I 
knew her, so that my acquaintanc.e was rather 
with the daughters, who remained several 
years on the farm before they sold it. Their 
brother was crippled by paralysis, he could 
just hobble along slowly with the help of a 
stick, and would come to our house for a short 
visit and to beg for some tobacco, which he 
also asked from everybody he met, for chew- 
ing was one of his few enjoyments, and he 
was not able to gratify it. I could hardly 
make out his talk, for his speech was also 
affected by palsy. He was fond of children, 
but was the terror of our little ones, for his 
ways were none of the gentlest, and his voice 
was deep and hoarse and frightened them. 
He was a big, fat man, and entirely depen- 
dent on his sisters for help in dressing, eat- 
ing, etc., but they were patient and kind and 
bore the self-imposed burden without a mur- 
mur. Sometimes the old man had fits, of 
what kind I don't know, but when the sisters 
got frightened or needed help, they would 
blow their tin-horn, used in those times as a 
dinner-horn instead of a bell, and the near 



48 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

neighbors would come to assist, or advise, a? 
the case might be. 

Now, before I return to the present time, I 
will add that the MacCarapbell sold their farm 
during the war, and went to live in Knox- 
ville. The new proprietor built a small frame 
house and a stone spring house on this part 
of the farm, near the old buildings, then di- 
vided his land into small tracts which he 
sold. This portion has had many proprietors 
since that time, and each one has made some 
change about the buildings, both putting up 
new ones, or adding to what were there, or 
tearing down the old ones, so that to-day not 
a trace remains of what existed some years 
ago. 

Now you would think that a house which 
has been built in so many different times 
ought to be a convenient and comfortable 
one, but we did not find it so. It was evident 
that no woman had helped in the plan of the 
house, and no wonder for several of the pro- 
prietors were bachelors, who did not under- 
stand much about conveniences in house-keep- 
ing. There was no pantry, no shelves or cup- 
boards, which are so necessary to a good 
house-keeper, even if they do make so many 
more corners to clean up. 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 49 



So after waiting till we were able as to 
time and means, we tried to improve the con- 
dition of things by building a large dining 
room, and a kitchen and pantry; that is the 
kitchen and pantry are new, and the dining 
room which used to be a kitchen separate 
from the house, we have only added to so 
as to bring it all under one roof, and now we 
have a large, convenient living room, which 
we calcimined and papered ourselves, and in 
which we eat and work, and in winter do the 
cooking. 

The appearance of the house is long and 
narrow, four rooms on the front, opening one 
into the other and also on the porches, mak- 
ing each room independent of the others; 
first at the west end is the spare bed room, 
sometimes occupied in summer by visitors or 
boarders, then comes our bed room, next a 
large, cool sitting room, and last on the east 
side is our boy's little bed room. From the 
sitting room we walk into the dining room, 
and from that by a side door into the kitchen 
and pantry, in which last there is a trap door 
to go down cellar; so now I feel quite set up, 
as the saying is, for besides these conveni- 
ences we have a water tank in the kitchen, 
with 9, pump to bring up the water. 



50 EAS'J' TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

I ought to have said at first that the house 
stands on rising ground, some distance from 
the pike; there are several large trees around 
it, and it fronts a meadow along the whole 
length of which runs in a serpentine way the 
brook from our spring, and that brook is at 
all seasons of the year covered with water- 
cresses which look so fresh and green, and in 
winter make a pretty contrast with the fallen 
dead leaves and the dried grass in the meadow. 
These cresses, cooked like greens or eaten as 
salad a,re quite a treat for those who l?ke 
them; we use them in early spring or in the 
fall when there is a new growth. 

Poor people come to gather these cresses 
and sell them in Knoxville, and sometimes 
there are as many as seven or eight women 
and children scattered along the edge of the 
stream, pulling and cutting away at the 
cresses, which we let them take so they do 
not come too near the house. Water-cresses 
grow and spread so fast that we have some 
trouble keeping them out of a little pond, 
caused by an enlargement of the brook, or 
branch, as we call it; this little pond is just 
in front ;0f the house, and near it is the only 
weeping-willow we found on the place, but 
we have planted more all along the bropk. 



ADATR CEEEK NOTES. 51 



III. 

Dear friend: Now that I have somewhat 
made you acquainted with our surrounding's, 
I will tell you about ourselves and our doings 
as I know that you take an interest in what 
concerns us. T mentioned in my last letter 
that in coming to this farm we intended to 
keep a dairy, and we did carry out our plan 
very much to our satisfaction. There was al- 
ready a dairy business started on the place, 
but the milk was sold in Knoxville every 
day and we wanted to make butter and cheese, 
for we knew by experience that it was as 
profitable and less binding- than takin? the 
milk to town every day, and even twice a 
day in summer. So we began with twelve 
cows, and only sold milk for a few weeks to 
have time to get ready for cheese making, and 
give customers a chance to engage milk else- 
where, dairies being plentiful. 

We had before hand engaged a cousin of 
ours to come and milk and have the care of 
the cows. This cousin had come from Switz- 
erland when a young man, had bought a farm 
in our neighborhood several years before the 
war, had married an American girl and settled 
here. He and his family were our fellow- 



62 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

travellers during the war, when we went north; 
we lived together six months in Ohio, then 
we went to the state of New York and they 
to Illinois; after a time they came back to 
Knoxville and bought a farm fifteen miles 
away from here, having sold the other before 
leaving Tennessee. A few years ago our cou- 
sin's wife died leaving six children, but he 
has taken another, and it was with her and 
his four youngest children that he moved on 
this farm some weeks before we did. He had 
while a young man been on a farm in Ger- 
many, where he had learned about the care 
of cows, so milking was nothing new to him, 
though it would be to most native farmers, 
the milking of their one or two cows being 
generally the work of women. 

Our cousin's oldest boy here was thirteen 
years old, and he helped his father take care 
of the cows and milk, but when that was ac- 
complished their share of the dairy work was 
done and mine began. I had as help an Irish 
girl we had befriended the year before, when 
her fatlierless baby was born at a neighbor's; 
she was young, strong and willing to work 
and help us, if we would only give her and 
her baby a home with us; she was already 
here, having lived a few months with the 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 53 

family who had just moved out, and I was 
glad to secure her services, for I knew there 
would be some heavy work to do in cleaning-, 
which would be too much for me alone. 

Now, when talking over our cheese-making 
enterprise, we had planned a small house by 
the branch so as to have plenty of water at 
hand, and cool water too, to keep the milk 
sweet in summer,, and we thought of churning 
by water power, and have in fact a regular 
dairy house, but when the time drew near 
to start the cheese-making, we began to see 
difficulties in the way. Having a separate 
building was not going to be very convenient 
for me, who was, and am, cook and also cham- 
bermaid, as well as dairy woman, then also 
water at any distance from the spring gets 
warm very quickly in summer, and altogether 
what had seemed to be just the thing at the 
beginning, was not quite so feasible the nearer 
we got to the time of trial. So we made up 
our minds to begin right at home, in the kit- 
chen, and a very good way it proved to be. 

Again here in the manufacture of the cheese 
our plans had to be changed ; we intended to 
make rich cheese, that is, use new milk in 
the morning, and skim but little the night's 
milk, as is done in most cheese dairies, but 



64 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

we knew that it was a. little risky and trouble- 
sonie to make and keep cheese in this climate. 

Before the war we had engag'ed in cheese 
manufacture, kept from thirty to forty cows, 
and had a regular dairy-man who gave great 
satisfaction; he loved his work and put his 
heart in it and succeeded fully in his under- 
taking, as was shown by our cheese receiving 
the first premium at an East Tennessee Divi- 
sion Fair. 

But T remember ho^ difficult it was to keep 
the cheese just right, neither too dry nor too 
damp; a proper situation had to be chosen 
for the cheese-house on the side of a wooded 
hill, so as to have shade in summer, and keep 
flies out; then a cellar had to be dug and the 
cheese kept always at the same temperature, 
and even v/ith all possible care some would 
often decay, still as we were working on a 
large scale we found profit in it. 

But here we were going to work in a small 
way, doing everything ourselves, and wanted 
to make it as easy and convenient as possible, 
and concluded to make skim-milk cheese, and 
butter, and have been very much pleased and 
encouraged in our undertaking; the cheese 
keeps well, and butter commands a good price 
in Knoxville. 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 65 

Good butter can be made here just as well 
as in the north or west; there are so many 
springs all through the country that could be 
made available to keep the milk and cream 
cool durin^^ the warm weather, but the people 
are as yet too careless or ig-norant to take any 
pains to make good butter; and after all why 
should they when their white, foamy butter 
brings them sometimes as much money as 
that which is firm and j^ellow? Yet there are 
many townspeople who will pay an extra 
price for really good butter. 

I know by experience that good butter can 
not be made if the cream is kept and churned 
at a higher temperature than 60 or 65 degrees 
according to the season of the year, and then 
the butter must be worked over several hours 
after churning and salting. That is one thing 
the farmers' wives here cannot understand 
why it should be, and will not do because it 
is a little more trouble, yet it makes a vast 
difference in the looks and taste of the butter. 
I have to thank my northern friends for my 
knowledge and improvement in that line, for 
once I did no better than those we have 
around us. 

Well! now about cheese-making, we are 
going on in the samo way wo began, in sum- 



56 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

mer the milk is kept in the spring-house, in 
winter here in the house, to make the work 
easier; every morning I skim the milk of the 
day before, make the cheese and keep the 
cream to be churned the next day when it is 
soured. When the cheeses are sufficiently 
pressed they are put in the cellar on a swing 
shelf, and are turned every day, and sold 
once a week after keeping twenty days at 
least. 

But though the cheese is made the same 
way now as then, our help is not the same; 
our cousin stayed with us only one year, and 
went back on his farm where he is now dai- 
rying, and our strong Irish girl left soon after 
hoping to better herself. 

It seemed to us when first one, then another 
left, that we would have some difficulty in 
going on by ourselves, still we did not feel 
discouraged. Mr. Chavannes could spare more 
time from the farm, our boy was getting strong 
and able to help, and I had got used to the 
work, so that our farming, dairy work and 
house-keeping have gone on smoothly, with 
the help of a hired man who lives on the 
place with his family, and of a colored girl 
in the house. 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 57 



IV. 

Bear friend: I had not thought when I be- 
^an to write about our home and work, that 
there would be so much to say about it, yet 
I find that I must take up the subject again 
if I would tell you, not only what the work 
of each one is, but in what spirit we do it. 

In the first place, you must know that each 
one of us has his own distinct department of 
work, in which no one interferes. For instance, 
Mr. Chavanues' department is the manage- 
ment of the farm and of our Monthly Magazine. 
Neither our boy or myself try to manage or 
direct in this matter; if help or advice is de- 
sired, it is asked for and willingly given, but 
all the responsibility of this share of the work 
rests upon him. In the same way, house- 
keeping and the management of the dairy 
business are my special work and care, and 
I don't expect the others to plan and work 
for me unless T need and ask for their help. 
Our son also understands that in his depart- 
ment he has some responsibility; part of his 
work is a daily routine, and we" require him 
to work so many hours each day, and during 
that time to accomplish a certain amount of 
work. 



68 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES, 

We have been liberal with him as regards 
time for the amount of work we require from 
him, and, by steady application he often gains 
two or three hours in the day, that are his 
to spend as he pleases; sometimes he emploj'-s 
his spare time working on the farm, liis father 
having given him the use of a piece of ground 
on which this year he is raising oats, and last 
year he had wheat: Sometimes he goes out 
hunting; last fall he bought a new breech - 
loading shot gun, which he paid for himself, 
all the profits of the occasional job printing 
being his; thus we give him an incentive to 
work, and try to miake him feel that he is a 
part of our little community. Even our col- 
ored girl knows that she has an interest in 
doing lier work well and quickly; when her 
usual task is done, she can then have time 
for play or pleasure, but no one is going to 
undertake her task for her. 

Now I don't want you to think from what 
I said that we are strict and indifferent to 
one another's comfort for it is all the other 
way. We have ever j? thing in common, our 
plans for improvement of self and surroun- 
dings, our pleasures and recreations, are all 
made subjects of discussion at the table or 
during evening liours, and we find that it is 



ADAIR CEEEK KOTES. 59 

the easiest and pleasantest way in which to 
work to the best advantage, that each one 
should have his or her appointed task. 

I may not be able to say as much about 
the farm as I would about house work, but 
will tell you that Mr. Chavannes cultivates 
himself loart of the farm, and rents the re- 
mainder to a man w^ho lives on the place, and 
who also works for him when he needs help. 
Sometimes Mr. Chavannes and our boy ex- 
chang:e work, farming for type setting, or per- 
haps while his father prints, our son drives 
the wagon, always trying to so arrange things 
that at no time either one should feel over- 
tired with one kind of work; also keeping in 
mind the rule that the work which suits one 
person best, is the one which he or she is 
the best fitted to do. 

Mr. Chavannes also has a small broom shop, 
for he has for many years engaged in a small 
way in the broom business; it is perhaps the 
only kind of work in which he does not get 
help, though before we bought our printing 
press, our boy sometimes helped his father 
in the shop; it is convenient work for rainy 
days, but Mr. Chavannes does less of it than 
formerly. 

I said before that our printing outfit, that 



eO EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

we use to print our Magazine, is in the din- 
ing room, so we are thrown a great deal to- 
gether during working hours, and I find it is 
encouraging to be able to tell one another 
how we are progressing during the day. There 
is generally one of us setting type or distri- 
buting it; our son is the quickest, while I 
am rather made fun of for being so slow; 
but I don't mind it, for every little helps the 
work along. The work which we three always 
do together is milking; very often when so 
engaged we sing, and you have no idea how 
much easier it seems to make the work. 

Years ago, when our daughter was with us, 
we used to sing a great deal, but since she 
married and took away her organ we have 
neglected our music very much, and only 
lately have taken it up again on account of 
our son who seems desirous to learn, and to 
encourage him we have bought a new ins- 
trument; and though I can play but little, 
many of our friends are musicians and please 
us with their music when they come. 

I have not yet told you about my cheese- 
making, so will tell you now, though the 
process may not be new to you. As a rule I 
make the cheese every morning; I skim when 
ready to warm the milk, and to avoid heavy 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 61 

lifting of the boiler, I only put in half the 
milk in it and heat it more than necessary 
and enough to bring the milk to 100 degrees 
when the other half is added, after the boiler 
has been placed on the floor. Then I put in 
a few drops of cheese coloring, a vegetable 
extract which we get at the drug store, and 
lastly put in the rennet liquid, which I pre- 
pare myself by soaking one rennet in a gallon 
of water, salting and straining, and then put- 
ting away ready for use; one cupful of this 
liquor will curd twelve gallons of milk, and 
it takes twenty minutes to do it. Then I cut 
the curd with a wooden knife, and as fast as 
the whey rises I dip it up and warm it in a 
skillet so as t^ pour it back on the curd, for 
it is necessary that the curd should be warm- 
ed in order to separate it from the whey, and 
that is the easiest way to do it. 

While the milk is warming I go about my 
other work, and also while it is curding, and 
when comes the dipping up of the whey I get 
help from the girl until it is time to salt and 
break up the curd evenly with the hand, then 
put it in a cloth and in a hoop under the press. 
That finishes the cheese-making for that day, 
except that it must be turned several times 
in the following twelve hours. 



62 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

All this work is very interesting and pleas- 
ing to me, for I like to T^^ork with the milk. 
The butter making goes on at the same time, 
but I hardly ever churn now, only get the 
churning ready. This year it is done by a 
daughter of our renter, who is paid with milk. 

Many a time when 1 have planned to go 
out visiting for a day and ch^^ese had to be 
made, I have got up earlier than usual and 
skimmed and warmed the milk before break- 
fast, so it might be curding while we ate; 
on such days I am excused from the milking. 
Or it might be the cheese was made on re- 
turning home after a day spent with friends, 
and if it was late I alwaj^s received the help 
I needed. All the cleaning up of utensils, I 
am glad to say, I can leave to our little mu- 
latto girl, but of course I superintend it. 

As much as possible T keep my afternoons 
for writing, sewing, visiting, magazine work, 
etc., the morning being pretty much taken up 
with the milk and housekeeping concerns, but 
if things do not turn out as we would like, 
we have learned, and are learning yet to 
make the best of whatever happens, and take 
life easy and have it pleasant for ourselves 
and others, and not fret over that which can 
not be helped. 



ADAIK CREEK NOTES. 68 



V. 

Dear friend: In my letters to you I have 
been describing much of our life, associates, 
surroundings, etc., and now I feel like having 
a quiet ''talk" with you. I want to tell you 
my thoughts and feelings on some subjects. 

As you know, we lead a quiet, happy life 
here in our little family, but I would not 
have you believe that it is all chanc^ or good 
luck, as so many who have told us so. No, 
indeed, for not only is there no such thing as 
luck, but there was a time when we did not 
understand as much of the laws of nature 
and of what is conducive to happiness as we 
do now, so that our present' state of content- 
ment is the result of our studying what would 
make us happy and satisfied, and then putting 
in practice as much as possible what we have 
found would make us so. 

And the first requisite to happiness is health, 
for how can we enjoy and be glad if we suf- 
fer? Now I am willing to acknowledge that 
we have unusual good health, but we promote 
it as much as possible by wearing sensible 
clothing, eating and drinking what we find 
suits us best, by sleeping as much as our sys- 
tem requires, and by rest; yes, rest during 



64 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

the day, before we get so tired that we can 
not enjoy even that. 

Now, I don't mean by rest that we ait down 
and do nothing, but a change of work is often 
a rest. But in this matter of work I must 
say that we have had to teach ourselves to 
do only that amount of it that is actually 
necessary, and leave the rest undone. Perhaps 
it does not sound right for a housekeeper to 
say this, but dear friend, have you not some- 
times thought how much work is done unne- 
cessarily, from habit, or because from child- 
hood we have been taught that some things 
must be done in a certain way, and that if 
we failed to perform them just so, we failed 
to accomplish our duty? I know that for my 
part, I have too long worked, and worked hard 
too, performing that which I considered ne- 
cessary and was tiresome in body and mind, 
and yet benefited no one. 

It might have been the sweeping and dust- 
ing of a room, so as to have it in extra good 
order, or the ironing of clothes which it made 
no difference to the wearer whether they were 
ironed or merely folded smooth ; or the nicely 
finishing up of some sewing that might have 
been more plainly done. 

In any of those things, and many more, that 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 65 

are done from pride or as I said, habit, we 
have had to learn to do every day only so 
much as is necessary, so as to have some 
time left for reading-, music, recreation, etc., 
for you must know that work has by no means 
diminished with us of late years, rather the 
contrary, and if we did not act in this w^ay 
which is so much more satisfactory, m e would, 
like many we see around us, be overworked 
and overtired ; and if you try it you will find 
that it pays to "sift" our work. 

Of course there is a large amount of it that 
must be done; cows must be milked, meals 
must be cooked, and beds made every day, 
but a wife and mother is not always obliged 
to milk, and the food might often be plainer 
than it is, and if beds cannot be made in the 
morning for lack of time, why, the afternoon 
will do just as well. 

Although I say this, do not imagine that 
we have no order or system about our work. 
If we did not we never could get along, but 
we pay no attention to the established way 
of doing things, and have organized our work 
to suit ourselves. And that it is a good way 
we know by the results, and also because many 
friends who have staid w ith us have expres- 
sed their surprise that we could accomplish 



66 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

so much in a day. And I will even own to 
you that we are by no means early risers, 
but when we do get up in the morning we 
feel refreshed and ready to work, and it is 
very seldom that night comes and does not 
find us in good spirits, ready for reading or 
music, a game of cards or backgammon, or 
whatever we may wish to do. 

Without boasting I will tell you that all 
those who have lived with us, even for a 
short time, have told us before they left that 
they had been impressed by the feeling of 
peace and contentment reigning in our home. 

And here I want to tell you how I have 
felt sorry for those poor women, farmers' 
wives they mostly are, who write to the pa- 
pers and tell of their hard lives, and how 
they long for the emancipation of women and 
welcome the efforts made in that direction, 
and who cannot see that the needed change 
is in themselves. It seems as though they 
expected some great and sudden revolution 
to set them free from bondage, when it is in 
all the minor details of life that the change 
must be made, and made through themselves. 

I have no doubt you have experienced it 
often that it is through little things that life 
is made pleasant, or becomes a burden to us. 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 67 

I am sure that if these poor tired women had 
begun their married life on an equal footing 
with their husbands, and limited their fami- 
lies to only so many children as were welcome 
and could properly be taken care of, and then 
had taught their children to help themselves 
and be independent from their early years, 
the lives of both parents and children \\ould 
have been much happier. 

Another thing which is also necessary to 
our happiness, and the truth of which we re- 
alize more of late, is that we need change in 
whatever shape we may get it; and however 
small that change may be in the daily rou- 
tine of our lives, it is sure to be beneficial to 
us, for as T told you before, it is in pleasant 
little things that our happiness consists. 

As for ourselves we encourage all that can 
make us so, and though our life is quiet, it 
is by no means monotonous ; we have a good 
deal of intercourse with those around us, and 
also several persons on the place whom we 
must see every day about one thing or an- 
other; we also go to Knoxville quite often and 
see our friends and relations there. Another 
enjoyment is attending debates at the school 
house, generally once in two weeks, when Mr. 
Chavannes is always one of the speakers. 



(58 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

We Wave also entertained friends and rela- 
tions several times during the year for a few 
days or weeks, as the case might be, though 
on account of our worli we have refused to 
take summer boarders as we used to do All 
this, as you understand, makes a diversion 
in our life, by bringing us in contact with 
others, exchanging thoughts, and giving us 
an opportunity to learn as well as teach, 
many things of interest. 

Occasionally, once in a great while, we do 
a little travelling, only one at a time, for we 
cannot all be spared from home at present. 
Mr. Chavannes went north last year, our son 
went to the Louisville Exposition, and goes 
every spring to visit his sister, and stays a 
few weeks at her house, and I was there last 
winter on the occasion of welcoming our first 
grand-child. 

Before I stop this letter, I must tell you 
that a great source of enjoyment to us are 
the many pleasant missives we receive from 
subscribers to The Sociologist, they send \is 
words of encoura'gement and cheer such as 
we hardly expected to get, and it has been 
the means of our getting acquainted with 
many congenial spirits, and we look upon 
them all as dear friends. 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 



VI. 

Dear friend: Of late years, and especially 
quite recently, there has been a ^reat deal 
said and written about hygiene and improv- 
ed modes of living, so as to secure better 
health, but although these ideas are surely, 
if slowly,,, spreading and taking firm root 
in the people's mind, how many do you think 
really understand what it means to ' takp 
care of one's self"?. 

Usually one thinks that in making a tho- 
rough reform in one's ways of life a better 
state of health will be attained, and conse- 
quently more happiness be enjoyed. Some 
try to stop working, or work as little a^ pos- 
sible so as to not get tired, but they forget 
that one gets tired doing nothing. Many try 
hygienic food, but our observations have led 
us to believe that they enjoy no better health 
than those who indulge judiciously in what- 
ever they desire to eat. Others again in their 
endeavors to live right have taken to uncook- 
ed food; of this last trial we have no exper- 
ience, but we are sure of one thing, that as 
the world never moves backward, so it will 
not go back to a barbarous way of living. 

Well! now you may wonder if after finding 



70 EAST tennp:ssee sketches. 

fault with othe^ people's experiments, I have 
any better method to bring forward. T think I 
have and will tell you of it. 

In the first place remember that I look upon 
the body as a machine, so we learn from 
those who have studied the subject. Now any 
one who owns or works a piece of machinery, 
wants to be thoroughly acquainted with all 
its different parts, so as to use it with judg- 
ment, and put no undue strain upon it. Take 
for instance a sewing machine. A woman 
who uses it constantly knows veil the neces- 
sity of oiling it every day; it will not do to 
neglect that performance and hear the ma- 
chine squeak, and think to-morrow will do 
as well to oil it, for to-morrow, for lack of 
the oil that is needed to make it run smooth, 
some parts of the machinery may be worn 
out so that no amount of future oiling, or 
rubbing and cleaning, will bring it back to 
its former state. 

And so it is with the body, if we are not 
careful all the time, it will not long stand 
the "wear and tear" that we are likely to 
let come upon it. 

This is our method: to work every day ac- 
cording to our ability, but to intermingle our 
work with plenty of rest. 1 have written this 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 71 

to you before, and I say it again because I 
find it of so much importance. A tired mind 
and body cannot work advantageously. A 
tired person worries and frets and cannot 
enjoy or help the enjoyment of others. One 
who feels continually tired is certainly run- 
ning his or her machine without oil. What 
then is this oil which is to work such won- 
der in our feelings? It is Rest. When we 
are rested we can accomp'ish so much more 
than when we are tired ; the smile will come 
to our face instead of the complaint to our 
lips, and what may have seemed like moun- 
tains of trouble will dwindle down to a very 
small amount of labor. 

Perhaps you think I write on this subject, 
but have no experience in that direction. It 
is not so. for I have tested the manv different 
ways of working that are in vogue, and have 
found none so satisfactory as our present one. 
I will tell you something of how I came to 
learn and change to my actual belief and 
mode of action. 

From a girl I was always fond of house- 
keeping, but never had to exert myself much 
in that line until I was fourteen, at which 
time I was strong and well able to stand the 
unusual strain of work brought upon us by 



72 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

adverse fortune. When 1 married I was, in a 
small way, quite competent to manage my 
household affairs, and took much pride and 
pleasure in doing- the work, and as I had 
plenty of leisure time and recreation, I did 
not feel the need of putting a check on my 
impulses of overdoing. 

But when we went north, during the war, 
^rand settled in a small town where nearly 
every woman was a noted housekeeper, I 
found that I fell far short of being one my- 
self, and set to work to deserve as good a 
reputation as any of my lady friends. 

What gave them the name of good and tho- 
rough housekeepers was this, they did all 
their work themselves. Papering and; white- 
washing, house-cleaning, putting down carpets, 
washing and ironing, baking, sewing, etc. In 
fact there was nothing they could not do, and 
if some had, to have hired, help they were 
talked about as too nice to work, and T who 
had been used to do that only which was 
necessary, and take plenty of comfort in life, 
began to think that my education had been 
sadly neglected, and that it was time I should 
learn all that a woman ought to know. 

And I did learn, and with the knowledge 
of thorough housekeeping, as it was looked 



ADAIR CREEK NOTES. 73 

upon there, came at times a feeling of weari- 
ness, and I was less ready to take enjoyment 
when it was at hand, I was, without know- 
ing it, sacrificing my health and also my com- 
fort and that of my family to the demands 
of King-Work. But then I had the satisfac- 
tion (?) of knowing that in matters of house- 
hold economy I could hold up my head with 
any of my neighbors. 

One intimate friend I had, who although 
she was a help to me in many ways, also had 
a baneful influence over me for many years. 
Enjoyment, comfort, rest, only came with her 
as secondary matters in life, and work was 
everything. To be sure we had social gather- 
ings, pleasant tea parties, etc., but they were 
not enjoyed in the spirit they should have 
been, for there was generally a lurking thought 
as to whether the rooms were in perfect order, 
or the supper table arranged as it should be, 
and would everything come off in the approv- 
ed style? 

You see all that was in itself a burden to 
carry when it should have been no burden at 
all. But I did not know much then of the 
laws of health and happiness. It was only 
after our return to Tennessee, when we had 
to make a new start as I called it, for there 



74 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

was land to clear, a house and barn to build, 
prarden to make, etc., then the taking care of 
a little baby, that I began to see that a change 
must be made in the arrangement and quan- 
tity of my work, and I had to learn to dis- 
criminate between what it was actually ne- 
cessary to do, and what was done merely for 
show and through habit. 

I assure you it went against the grain, as 
the saying is, to have to leave undone what 
I had learned must not be neglected, but my 
health imperatively required it, for I had 
been spending more strength than I could 
spare and had to pay the penalty. Fortuna- 
tely I learned a better way of managing be- 
fore any serious trouble came upon me, and 
it was very encouraging to find that although 
I did not sweep, dust and mop and iron as 
much as had been my wont, no' one felt the 
difference, but we were all rather benefited 
by a little more rest and reading at what 
might seem odd times, and there was also 
more cheerfulness and pleasant exchange of 
thoughts, for mine were not always on work 
or fretting for what I had not accomplished. 

About that time I heard Mr. Chavannes 
tell a friend who was inclined to overwork 
herself, that if she had to carry a burden a 



A DA IK (REEK NOTES. 76 

long distance, the best way to accomplish her 
object would be to rest often on the ^ ay. 
That gave me food for reflection, and I found 
through experience that he was right. Of 
course you know I do not mean that we should 
stop every little while during our work, but 
whenever we feel that what we are engaged 
in is a tax upon our strength, our power of 
thought, our sight, or any other of our facul- 
ties, it is high time we changed our occupa- 
tion and rested thoroughly. 

In fact we ought never to wait until a dis- 
like for exertion comes upon us, as that shows 
that we already have done too much, and that 
we must give our bodies a chance to recruit. 
As I have said before, we can actually accom- 
plish a larger task, and with greater ease, if 
we rest often than if we work right along, 
allowing ourselves no breathing spell in the 
hope of being through quicker. We may in 
that way accomplish a task a little sooner, 
but we shall have to pay in impaired health 
and contentment more than the work ever 
was worth. 

Now you will know that I can speak from 
experience on the subject upon which I have 
written to you. I am no longer over-particu- 
lar in doing my work, and yet I claim to be 



76 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

neat and clean, and through a better system 
of management I am accomplishing now a 
greater variety of work than I did years ago. 

The results of independence are also keenly 
enjoyed now. As long as I entertained the 
idea of duty, I felt obliged to give up all my 
desires and thoughts of self to the accom- 
plishment of whatever was set before me to 
do. I have no doubt you have many times 
acted as I did, and although it may have been 
hard to obey the call of duty, yet there was 
a sort of grim satisfaction in knowing that 
we had acted right. (Though it really was 
not right. ) 

But I wish you would try as I did, not to 
do anything that would not repay you in 
some way. Let the trial be made gradually, 
that you may feel sure that you are moving 
in the right direction, but do not wait for a 
more fitting time. There is no better time 
than the present and our first duty is to our- 
selves, and if each one of us will be true to 
himself or herself, no one will suffer through 
our independence. 



SlUNDEES' RAID ON ENOZYILLE. 



In the summer of 1863, before Burnside came 
to Knoxville, we were living in the city where 
I was busy with some work connected with 
the commissary department. One morning I 
had occasion to go to the depot, and found 
everything in turmoil and confusion. Upon 
inquiry, T learned that a large force of Federal 
cavalry had crossed over from Kentucky into 
East Tennessee, and were 1 leading in this 
direction, with the object, it was supposed, 
to burn the railroad bridges at Loudon and 
Strawberry Plains, and to destroy the large 
military stores in Knoxville. As it was not 
known whether the city could be successfully 
defended, every available car was being load- 
ed with government stores, ready to be sent 
off toward Virginia at a moment's notice, if 
it should become necessary. 

All that afternoon active preparations were 
made for the defense of the place; ths few 
pieces of artillery in the city were put in 



78 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

position, the men working in the government 
shops were organized into companies and ar- 
med, and every measure was taken to present 
the best possible front with the small force 
available at that time. One of these mea- 
sures was to issue a. call to the citizens to 
volunteer, and at night, in answer to that 
call, three young men who boarded at our 
house and myself decided to join the citizens' 
company. 

It was dark when we started to look them 
up, and it took us some time to locate them, 
which we finally did at the extreme left of 
our line of defense. Upon reporting to the 
Captain, we were first sent to the Armory for 
guns and ammunition, and on our return were 
X-)laced last in the line, which extended all 
along Summit Hill, above the railroad. A 
little later, Captain MacCluno, the officer in 
charge of the Armory, came up with his 
employees and formed on our left, thus further 
strengthening our position. 

Nothing was known of the movements of 
the raiders, except that they had reached the 
railroad between Knoxville and Loudon, for 
they had cut the wires between these two 
places, and it was supposed that they would 
follow the valley up to Knoxville. 



SAUNDERS' RAID ON KNOXVILLE. 79 

The supposition proved to be correct, for 
after waiting in perfect silence for about a 
couple of hours, we suddenly heard in the 
stillness of the night, a brisk but desultory 
fire to the west of the city, in the direction 
from which the Federals were expected. 

I have been sufficiently tried to know that 
while I am not specially brave, yet I am no 
coward, but I shall never forget the effect 
that the hearing of these few shots had upon 
me. A cold shiver ran down my back, and 
I felt very solemn for a little while. But the 
feeling soon passed off never to come back, 
and I am glad to say that the next day, in 
the more serious fight which took place, my 
only anxiety was that we should present a 
brave front and beat off the enemy. 

We all expected that these few shots would 
prove the precursors of a night attack, but 
everything quieted down, and the night pas- 
sed without further alarm, the time being 
spent in talking over our prospects of success- 
ful resistance, or getting snatches of sleep 
stretched on the bare ground. 

In the morning we had the first reliable 
news of the movements of the Federals. A 
dispatch from Loudon — only thirty miles 
distant — sent all the way round by Atlanta, 



80 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

and through North Carolina and Virginia, 
then back to Knoxville, was published in 
the morning papers, to the effect that a force 
of Yankee cavalry under the command of 
General Saunders, estimated to be two thou- 
sand strong, had made a demonstration against 
the railroad bridge at Loudon, but on finding 
its approaches well fortified and guarded by 
a regiment of Virginians, had turned in the 
direction of Knoxville. 

It was also rumored among us that the 
Federals, when met by our scouts during the 
night, had turned to the left, and were now 
camped in the woods in front of us, and that 
an attack might be expected at any time. 

Soon after the circulation of these news, an 
incident happened which goes to show what 
nerve and decision will do in deciding the 
fortunes of war. The position our company 
occupied guarded the entrance into the city 
through the Jacksboroui*-h pike, at that time 
the only macadamized road leading into 
Knoxville. We were on the side of a hill, 
and below and in front of us was the railroad. 
The pike ran straight in plain sight for seve- 
ral hundred yards, then turned and was hid- 
den from view by a large brick building, a 
steam flour mill. 



SAUNEERS' RAID ON KNOXVILLE. 81 

About that time three or four private citi- 
zens started to ride up that pike to do a 
little scouting on their own account, and were 
soon lost to sight, hidden by the turn in the 
road. A few minutes later, we heard some 
shots in that direction, followed by a tremen- 
dous clattering noise, as if a thousand horses 
were coming toward us at full gallop on the 
stone road. 

We never doubted but that the enemy was 
charging upon us, and quickly falling into 
line, we got ready to give them a warm re- 
ception, our Captain walking back and forth 
repeating: -'Keep cool, gentlemen, do not fire 
too soon, wait for the word of command", 
when instead of the expected charge of ca- 
valry, we saw first our scouts waving white 
handkerchiefs, and right behind them, coming 
as fast as their horses could gallop, four 
pieces of artillery, escorted by a company of 
Confederate soldiers. Cheer upon cheer rent 
the air at the welcome sight of this unex- 
pected reinforcement. 

The explanation of this timely arrival was 
this. That battery had been stationed near 
Knoxville all summer, and at the first news 
of the raid had been ordered out to the 
Clinch river, some twenty miles off, to defend 



82 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

a ford where it was expected the Federals 
would try to cross. When it was known that 
the raiders had taken another road, a courier 
was sent after them, with orders to come 
back in haste to take part in the defense of 
Knoxville. They had traA^elled all night, and 
having no means of learning the movements 
of the Federals, had when nearing the city 
fallen right among them where they had es- 
tablished their camping ground. 

Happily they did not strike the Federals in 
the centre of their position but at the extreme 
right, and caused them as much surprise by 
their unexpected arrival as it was to them 
to find the enemy between them and the city. 
Their Captain must have been a born soldier 
and a man of decision, for without a moment 
of hesitation, he ordered his men to dash at 
full gallop down the road past the Federals, 
who before they could realize what had hap- 
pened, allowed them to pass harmlessly 
through their midst and get beyond danger 
of capture. They had then met our scouts, 
who naturally had mistaken them for the 
Federals, and fired some shots to give us the 
alarm, but upon finding out their mistake, 
had taken position at their head so as to pre- 
vent their being fired upon from the city. The 



SAUJSDERS' RAID ON KNOXVILLE. 83 

battery was sent at once to occupy a threat- 
ened position, and did good service in the 
fight which soon followed. 

Probably one hour passed without anything 
of importance taking place, and we had com- 
menced to believe that there would be no 
fight, when the Federals made a demonstra- 
tion, and in so doing gave us the finest mil- 
itary spectacle which it has ever been miy 
luck to see. In front of us, some fifteen hun- 
dred yards away, was a low flat ridge, along 
the whole length of which Fifth Avenue is 
now located. Then it was a piece of woodland, 
the trees large and far apart, with the under- 
brush cleared, and having very much the ap- 
pearance of a park. 

The Federals were encamped behind that 
ridge, out of sight, and forming in companies, 
suddenly rode up to the top in platoons, their 
numbers being sufficient to extend from one 
end of the hill to the other. Arrived at the 
top they deployed fronting us and gave cheer 
after cheer of defiance, to which we as defi- 
antly responded. 

It was a beautiful spectacle. The sky was 
perfectly clear and of the deepest blue, the 
trees covered with their green foliage, and 
the Federals in their dark uniforms, as they 



84 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

rode up in sight with military precision, 
seemed when flnaMy formed in a line on the 
top of the hill, to have been drawn off for 
our inspection. But it did not last very long. 
No sooner had our cheers died away, when 
our two pieces of artillerj^ nearest to our com- 
pany opened upon them; the first shot went 
wild, but the second hit fairly in the center 
of one of the platoons, scattering men and 
horses in all directions. Before the guns could 
be reloaded the whole force wheeled back 
and disappeared from our sight, their place 
being taken by two light pieces of rifled ar- 
tillery which they had brought with them. 

The balance of the fight was an artillery 
duel, with few casualties on either side, but 
in which Knoxville lost one of its best citi- 
zens. This was Captain MacClung, of whom 
I have spoken as the officer in charge of the 
Armory. We had spent the night close toge- 
ther. I was the last man of the citizens' com- 
pany, while Captain MacClung stood at the 
head of his employees, who were next to us. 
After the artillery fire had commenced, and 
when there was no danger of a charge for 
the time being, we stood together looking at 
the firing. We could see the flash of the Fe- 
deral guns, and following the whizzing of the 



SAUNDERS' RAID ON KNOXVILLE. 85 

shells, watch where they struck. The first 
went high over our men, and the next struck 
as much too low. After looking- a m hile. Cap- 
tain MacClung said tome: ''Mr. Chavannes, 
I am going up there, where I can have a 
better view of these fellows," and walked up 
to our cannons, standing by their side fully 
exposed. Unhappily for him about that time 
the Federals got the right range, and the next 
shell struck him, carrying oil both his legs. 
He was taken to his home, and an effort was 
made by the surgeons to save his life, but he 
died a few hours after. 

Until that time, our men had taken no ad- 
vantage of the cotton bales which had been 
placed for their protection, but I noticed that 
after tliat, they would watch for the flash and 
take refuge behind the bales until the danger 
was past. 

I do not know how long this duel lasted, 
but to me it seemed very short. When the 
Federals withdrew their pieces they kept out 
of our sight, and as we had no means of know- 
ing if they had left the vicinity for good, or 
only retired to prepare for a more serious at- 
tack, we spent the next hour or two in doing 
what we could to strengthen our position. 
Our compan;'-, which had stood exposed in full 



So KAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

sight, was drawn off behind a strong fence, 
and retrenchments were built with a pile of 
cord wood that was laying in a yard near by. 
But the Federals had left for Strawberry 
Plains, where they burned the railroad bridge, 
and then started back for Yankee land. In 
the afternoon, a j-trong body of Confederate 
cavalry, which had been sent for, reached 
Knoxville, and after a short rest followed in 
the track of the Federals. They did not over- 
take them, but managed to press them elo: e 
enough so that they had to abandon their ar- 
tillery, and make their way back to Kentucky 
over the mountains, by difficult and danger- 
ous paths, where no troops would travel unless 
compelled by dire necessity 



COMmG HOME TO KNOZYILLE, 



In 1896, after a prolonged stay in the East, 
Mrs. Chavannes and myself returned to our 
home in East Tennessee. It was in the leafy 
month of June, when nature is at her best, 
and the contrast between the sight of one of 
the busiest streets of New York, and the 
fresh colors of the landscape, made us doubly 
susceptible to the beauty of the region we 
traversed on our return journey. 

Part of the country through which we tra- 
velled has the distinction of bein^ the highest 
farming region east of the Rocky mountains. 
Within a distance of perhaps two hundred 
miles, we successively crossed the James river, 
which empties in the Chesapeake bay, the 
Roanoke and the New River which flow east 
through North Carolina, the KanaTah which 
flows west to the Ohio river, and the Holston, 
the main spring of the Tennessee river, which 
runs south until below Chattanooga, where 
it is turned to the west by a high spur of the 
Cumberland mountains 

Leaving Wasliington in the middle of the 



88 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

night, our first view of this picturesque region 
was at Koanoke, a thriving little city at the 
junction of the Shenandoah valley and of the 
Norfolk and Western railroads. From Roan- 
oke the land rises steadily, and the railroad 
is built between and around a series of hills 
called knobs in that section of the country, 
and which I believe are not found elsewhere. 
Those knobs are a succession of small, hills, 
perhaps three or four hundred feet in height, 
scattered over the land in perfect confusion, 
presenting to the eye the same uneven appear- 
ance as the surface of a basket of eggs. 

The scenery they made was exceedingly 
pleasant to look upon at that time of the year. 
No abrupt lines offended the eye, but a suc- 
cession of scenes small in extent, but all 
graceful, cheered the sight of the traveller 
with their ever changing curves, painted in 
many shades of green against the blue sky. 

As the cars wound in and out around these 
numerous hills, vistas of miniature valleys 
were passing before our eyes in quick succes- 
sion, enlivened by glimpses of farm houses 
usually set just beyond the gaps in the hills, 
and which, Surrounded by ancient shade trees, 
and framed in by fields and woods, formed 
a very attractive rural picture. 



COMING HOME TO KNOXVILLE. 89 

Not only has the country a special charm 
of its own, but it is also true of the occupants 
of the car who have some marked character- 
istics, and differ from the citizens of other 
parts of the United States. 

I find my attention arrested by four young- 
men who had come in together, and seem to 
me true specimens of the best class of the 
inhabitants of that reg-ion. They are all tall, 
well built, and with well bred faces. One of 
them, whom they call Doctor, comes nearer 
than any of them to my idea of the Old 
Virginian stock than any specimen I have 
seen lately. A courtly demeanor even with 
his friends, a careless expression as if life did 
not have to be taken very seriously, a laugh- 
ing eye and an honest face, are his chief 
characteristics; and as he jokingly discus-es 
with his friends the somewhat exciting topic 
of the political situation, lie shows his true 
descent from the easy-going slave owners who 
were at one time the ruling power of that land. 
In another respect they all show the persisten- 
cy of inherited traits, for while divided in po- 
litics, they are all agreed as to their contempt 
for the '^nigger", and show more anxiety to 
maintain the political supremacy of the white 
man than to vote for silver or gold. 



90 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

After pullinjj: and puffing for two or three 
hours, the locomotive taking us higher and 
higher above the sea, we finally reach the 
rich valley which forms the south western 
part of Virginia. We have left the knobs be- 
hind us, and find ourselves in a broad valley, 
rich and well cultivated, and as we rush along 
we see on each side the j^arallel chain of 
mountains that form the Alleghany range. 
We pass many thriving cities, and find our- 
selves once more surrounded by evidences of 
progress and prosperity. 

At one of the stations the cars are invaded 
by delegates to some Sunday school conven- 
tion, and it is evidently looked upon as a 
picnic, for women and children predominate. 
The seat opposite to us is taken possession 
of by a middle-aged gentleman, whose face 
is a perfect fac-simile of that of an old En- 
glish statesiTian of revolutionary times It is 
not the face of a reformer or an idealist, but 
it is the face of a man prone to judge and 
advise his fellow-men, and is marred in my 
eyes by the condescension which lurks in all 
his actions. I take him to be a preacher, and 
my opinion is strengthened by his success in 
getting rid of the care of his infant son. His 
wife not feeling well brought their two years 



COMING HOME TO KNOXVILLE. 1)1 

old child for him to look after, but the task 
evidently being an unpleasant one, he soon 
manages to turn it over to a more humble, 
but possibly more useful member of the pai'ty. 
Another man, with black coat buttoned to the 
chin, and white neck tie, has the face and 
manners of a catholic anchorite, and seems out 
of place in a protestant pleasure party. 

About noon we reach Bristol, the twin city, 
built partly on Virginian and partly on Ten- 
nessee soil. The dividing line between the 
states runs througli the main street, and the 
city boasts of two mayors and two councils. 
Bristol is the highest station on the railroad, 
being nearly two thousand feet above the sea, 
and from there to Knoxville the fall is over 
one thousand feet. As we leave Bristol, there 
is a curve in the road, and we see br( adside 
to us the valley of East Tennessee, encased 
between two high ranges of mountains which 
frame it grandly all the way to Chattanooga. 

The valley widens as we reach Morristown, 
and we admire the broad fields and rich 
farms which present themselves to our eyes. 
But we have but little time to observe the 
country. The train makes but few stops, and 
speeds on at a rate that would do honor to 
the fastest train at the West. 



»2 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

At Mossy Creek, our last stop and thirty- 
three miles from Knoxville, I look at my 
watch and find that we are due in that city 
in thirty-five minutes, and expect that we will 
be a little behind time, but we thunder along- 
at such a rate that we soon reach a neighbor- 
hood with which I feel well acquainted, and 
though only five miles from the depot, we 
have yet ten minutes to arrive at our desti- 
nation. Soon the train slacks and we are no 
longer whisked around the curves with a force 
that makes you feel like holding on to your 
seat, and as we reach the city limits we fall 
in the prescribed speed, and glide in the de- 
pot just on time. 

A good horse and buggy are waiting for us, 
and soon takes us back to our home and fa- 
mily, and in a few days our long absence has 
become a thing of the pa^t, and we fall back 
naturally into our old life in our southern 
country home. 



AN OLD REPROBATE. 



During our late unpleasantness, in the fall 
of 1862, I spent some months in buying cattle 
in the mountains of East Tennessee, and made 
the acquaintance of William MacLeod, or 
Squire Mac as he was familiarly called, a na- 
tive of the upper parts of the state, who had 
drifted to Knoxville in search of a fortune. 
Although born in the south, Squire Mac was 
much given to trading, for which he was as 
well qualified as any Yankee from the East. 
He was glib of tongue, sharp at a trade, and 
with a keen eye for a chance bargain, and had 
left his native mountains to exercise his gifts 
in more busy haunts of civilization. 

But so far he had not met with any brilliant 
success, probably because of his roving dispo- 
sition and a fondness for mild forms of dis- 
sipation. He used to deal a little in cattle, 
and thus we were often thrown together, and 
I was induced by him to make the trip on 
which I met my old reprobate. 

In coming to Knoxville, Squire Mac had 
not brought all his possessions with him, but 



94 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

still owned an nn sal able farm some ten miles 
south frpm Cumberland Gap. On this farm 
lived his brother, and in his care the Squire 
had placed his motherless little girl, and it 
was because he wanted to see his child that 
he persuaded me to take the trip with him. 
At that time he had not been on his place 
for several months, being afraid to return in 
that vicinity on account of personal enemies 
he had left behind. He was a Union maru, 
while most of his neighbors were strong Se- 
cessionists, and he was afraid that if he should 
fall in the hands of the men he had angered, 
but little quarter would be shown to him. 

To show that his fears were well founded, 
I may as well state here that later on, after 
Biirnside had entered East Tennessee, and 
Squire Mac had joined the Federal army, he 
visited his home at a time when that section 
was disputed ground between Burnside's and 
Longstreet's commands, and having fallen in 
the hands of the men he dreaded, when they 
left the place where he had been overtaken, 
his dead body was hanging to a tree. 

But at the time of our trip there wa? a 
little more respect for human life. Kirby 
Smith was in command in East Tennessee, 
and while civil authority had been entirely 



AN OLD REPROBATE. 95 

superseded, martial law was enough respected 
to protect the life of peaceable citizens. Ne- 
vertheless Squire Mac had not been willing 
to venture alone in that locality, and knowing 
that I was a southern sympathizer, proposed 
that we should together visit h's home. He 
would see his child and attend to some bu- 
siness matters, and I would likely be able to 
buy some cattle in that neighborhood. 

T gladly consented, and two days of horse- 
back riding took us over the sixty odd miles 
of mountainous country we had to traverse to 
reach our destination. On the afternoon of 
the second day, near sunset, we reached the 
farm of Squire Mac's father-in-law, and the 
first building we saw on the place was a small 
still-house, a common sight at that time over 
the mountains of East Tennessee. 

As we neared the still-house, T noticed a 
man lying at full length by the side of the 
road. His hat had fallen off and rolled to one 
side, and his bald head was fully exposed to 
the rays of the setting sun. My first impres- 
sion was that the man was dead, but Squire 
Mac, with a passing glance of recognition 
remarked: "That's old Fullerton, an old 
drunkard, he is not dead, he is dead-drunk." 

I paid but little further attention to the 



96 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

incident, for we were used to strange sights 
in those days, but I recollect a feeling of 
disgust passing over me when I realized the 
true condition of the raan. He had evidently 
fallen by the roadside; his head lay lower 
than his feet, his arms were extended and 
his white fringe of hair covered with mud; 
a complete picture of utter prostration and 
annihilation of self-respect. "An old reprobate," 
I thought within myself, "and going to the 
devil as fast as he can." 

The next day it was arranged that while 
Squire Mac attended to some private matters, 
I would go and look at some cattle I was in- 
formed were for sale in the neighborhood, and 
that we were to meet for supper at the Squire's 
father-in-law. I dispatched my business a 
little quicker than I expected, and it was yet 
early when I stepped on the porch at our 
host's, and was cordially welcomed by the 
ladies of the house and requested to take a. 
chair and make myself at home until the ar- 
rival of the gentlemen. Seated in a corner 
of the porch was an old man who was pre- 
sented to me as Mr. Fuller ton, and whom, to 
my great astonishment, I recognized as the 
drunkard of the preceding day. 

But he looked like another person, for he 



AN OLD REPROBATE. 97 

was sober, and I found him a man of mild 
manners, modest behavior, and considerable 
information. Instead of the disgust of the 
preceding day, I found myself attracted tow- 
ard him. There was something refined in his 
appearance, in marked contrast with the usual 
deportment of the mountaineers, who are more 
noted for virile determination than for gent- 
leness of behavior ; and the pathetic look in 
his mild blue eyes had something appealing, 
and well calculated to disarm the harsh jud- 
gment I had passed upon him. 

We gradually got into conversation, and I 
learned there of some events in his life which 
somewhat explained his conduct, and taught 
me to be more charitable in my judgments 
of my fellow-men. 

After a few words about the weather and 
the crops, I happened to mention the road 
by which we had come the day before, when 
he remarked that I must have seen him as 
he lay by the road side. 

"I was drunk then," he said in a matter of 
fact voice, and just as if he had said "I am 
sick," "but I am sober now." 

"Yes," I answered, "and I thought you were 
a sorry sight; you do not look to-day like the 
same man." And with the rashness of youth 



98 1:aST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

I gave him a short lecture on the evils of 
drinking. He heard patiently what I had to 
say, and when I got through simply remarked: 

"It is all true enough, what you have told 
me, but what is a man to do if he cannot 
keep from it? Ever since I lost my boys I 
got drunk at times, and I do believe it is all 
that kept me from going crazy. There are 
times when I must forget myself, or it seems 
to me I will lose my mind." 

That was a new idea to me, and I was cer- 
tainly not prepared with a satisfactory re- 
ply. Mr. Fullerton was so different from all 
other drunkards I had known that I was get- 
ting interested. 

"Are you all alone?" I asked. "Have you no 
wife or child to help you keep sober?" 

A look of deep dejection spread itself over 
Jus countenance, and something very much 
like a tear ehone in his eye. 

''My wife did not live very long after our 
marriage," he answered. "I have been a wi- 
dower more than thirty years. We had two 
children, as fine boys as ever lived, but I saw 
them both die not two weeks apart." 

I had lost a darling little girl not many 
months before, and my heart went out toward 
the man who thus had been doubly afflicted. 



AN OLD REPROBATE. 99 

"That was hard indeed, Mr. FuUerton." I 
replied. "T have lost a child lately and can 
sympathize with you. What was the matter 
with your boys that they died so near to- 
gether?" 

"Smallpox is what killed them," he answered. 

"Smallpox!" I exclaimed, well knowing the 
dread in which that disease is held by these 
mountaineers. ^'Smallpox! What a hard time 
you must have had while they were sick! 
Could you get any help? Would any of your 
neighbors come and see you?" 

"No, I was left all alone with them all the 
time, and no one, not even a doctor was al- 
lowed to come near us." 

My curiosity being aroused, I plied the old 
gentleman with questions, and here is the 
substance of what he told me. 

"This happened over twenty years ago," he 
said, "and we were living in the same place 
where I am now, but the country was not 
nearly as much settled, and we were comple- 
tely surrounded by the woods. There had 
been no smallpox in these parts, but we heard 
some talk of it over on the other side of the 
Gap, but nothing to create a scare, or even 
make us specially careful. 
"Well Bill, that was the oldest, took a 



100 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

notion to visit some friends on the other side 
of the mountain, and a few days after he 
came back he began to complain, and finally 
had to take to his bed. We had no women 
folks staying with us at the time, a. kind of 
keeping house by ourselves, and John and I 
thought we could take care of him all right. 
But he got worse, and I 'lowed I better go to 
Tazewell and fetch a doctor to see him, and 
the doctor he called it smallpox as soon as 
he set his eyes upon him. 

"That scared us bad, you may be sure, and 
we knew well enough the neighbors would not 
come nigh us. And so it was, for the doctor 
he stopped as he ought to at the first house 
to warn the people, and the news spread as 
wild fire all over the country. 

' So the neighbors they met and talked over 
what they had better do to keep it from 
spreading, and the upshot of it was that the 
next morning at break of day, Johnson cal- 
led me, and when I stepped out he was stand- 
ing at the edge of the woods, and he would 
not come to the house or let me come near 
him. He told me how the neighbors had 
decided that we must not leave our yard, and 
they would see to it that we lacked for no- 
thing. Every morning they would bring food 



AN OLD REPROBATE. 101 

and medicines and leave them where he stood, 
but on no account was any of us to cross the 
fence, for they were going to set guards, who 
if we did would shoot us down like dogj. 

'^Well Bill got worse and John helped me 
take care of him, but he took sick himself 
and I had them both to take care of. Oh ! it 
was a dreadful time. Bill went out of his 
head, and John got scared for he thought 
they would certainly both die. And sure 
enough Bill he died first, and the neighbors 
would not come near and help me bury him, 
but they dug a grave near the fence, and 
brought a coffin and let it down into it, and 
I carried Bill down in my arms and let him 
down in the coffin and covered him. After 
that John got worse and at times was so 
violent I could hardly keep him in the bed. 
But he got weaker and weaker, and soon fol- 
lowed his brother, and I was left alone with 
my dead. Oh! it was awful I" 

And the old man's face worked and he co- 
vered it with his hands, and I felt a deep 
compassion for him in my heart as I realized 
the mental sufferings he must have endured. 
After a moment he continued: 

'^I had to bury John the same way as Bill, 
and then had to come back alone to my lonely 



102 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

cabin, and it was two weeks before I was 
allowed to show myself among my neighbors." 

"That was cruel," I remarked, "for surely 
some other way could have been found to 
destroy the danger of infection." 

"No, it was not cruel," he replied. "They 
did the best they could for us and knew of 
no better way to keep the smallpox from 
spreading. And it did it too. There was no 
other person took it, but it drove me to drink. 
I used to take a dram once in a while, but 
never enough to get drunk. But I got so 
lonely and broken down that I took to drink- 
ing so as to forget my misery, and it has 
stuck to me ever since, and will probably 
hold me to the end." 

I did not have the heart to say any more 
about the evil habit of drinking, and it taught 
me a lesson, for ever since I have been more 
charitable in my judgments, and no longer 
apply the term of old reprobate to every man 
who succumbs to the influence of liquor. 



1 WAR EPISODE. 



Early in the fall of 1863 the Confederates 
under Buckner evacuated Knoxville, and a 
few days after the Federals under Burnside 
made their entrance in the place, and held 
it till the end of the war. In November of 
the same year the Confederates returned un- 
der Longstreet, and driving Burnside into the 
city, besieged him during three weeks, when 
Bragg having been defeated at Missionary 
Ridge, Sherman was detailed from Grant's 
army and coming to Burnside's assistance, 
compelled Longstreet to raise the siege. 

However he did not go very far, but re- 
treated to Strawberry Plain*!, where occupying 
a strong position behind the river, he threat- 
ened Knoxville all winter. His troops made 
continual raids near the city, often carrying 
off prisoners and cattle which were thought 
safe within the Federal lines. 

We were then living on a farm four miles 
north of Knoxville, and very near the dispu- 
ted portion of the country. We were within 
the outer line of pickets, but surrounded by 



104 EAST tennp:ssee sketches. 

camps, and subject to numerous visits from 
stragglers and camp followers, who usually 
came in search of food, and were not very 
scrupulous as to their means of obtaining it. 
We were known as southern sympathizers, 
and thus more liable to depredations than 
our neighbors who were mostly union people, 
and in self defense had to hide our slender 
stock of food, and use all kinds of stratagems 
to prevent discovery. 

We also had visits from the soldiers cam- 
ped around us, but their behavior was very 
different. They usually wanted some work 
done, such as washing or cooking, and were 
polite and willing to pay liberally for what 
they >A anted. 

JTor greater security we had sold most of 
the product of our farm, and were reduced 
to very plain living. My last remaining horse 
had been stolen by a party of stragglers, and 
our only domestic animal was a cow which 
could find a scanty living in the open fields, 
helped out with the refuse from our kitchen. 
We had some wheat and corn hidden among 
a pile of loose lumber, and some bacon stored 
under the lining of the roof, and with some 
help from the garden managed to have al- 
ways enough of the necessaries of life. 



A WAR EPISODE. 105 

Some two months after the arrival of the 
Federals, reports beg-an to be circulated in 
our neighborhood that some union soldiers 
had been visiting several farms, and had 
carried away boxes of chewing tobacco that 
were stored on them, but it was not known 
if it was done under military authority, or if 
it was a case of unauthorized plundering. In 
the latter days of the Confederacy, when 
paper money was daily losing in value, chew- 
ing tobacco in boxes, being compact and easy 
to keep, became a favorite investment. 

I had bought quite an amount, and the fact 
was generally known, but the tobacco had 
never been brought to my farm, for I stored 
it in the city, and sometime before the ar- 
rival of the Federals, I had disposed of it 
for another investment that suited me better. 

Under those circumstances, I was not sur- 
prised to see one afternoon four mounted 
soldiers ride in my front yard where I was 
at work, and the leader introducing himself 
as Captain Gale, said he had been pent to 
search my house for tobacco, rebel flags and 
arms. 

In those days we did not ask such visitors 
for their warrants; the loaded guns in the 
hands of his soldiers were sufficient warrant 



106 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

for an^'thirig he might choose to do, so treat- 
ing him politely, I answered that I had no 
tobacco, flags or arms. 

I judge that my manner satisfied him that 
I spoke the truth, for he seemed disappoint- 
ed, but after some hesitation he finally said 
that his orders were to search my house, so 
I piloted them, and they made a very super- 
ficial examination, which would certainly 
have failed to bring anything to light that I 
would have cared to keep hidden. But T had 
nothing of a contraband nature, unless a small 
Reddington pistol and a sword cane could be 
so considered. I could easily have concealed 
them, but did not do so, for I felt confident 
that there could be no objection to my keep- 
ing them. 

But I soon found that the cane had attrac- 
ted the attention of Captain Gale, and that 
he meant to carry it off with him. It was 
quite a neat article, which I had bought 
while I was travelling in Europe, and on my 
return had given it to an older brother, who 
had died a few years later when the cane 
came back in my possession; and for these 
reasons I valued it highly. 

Captain Gale looked at it appreciatively, 
and probably equally prompted by the desire 



A WAR EPISODE. 107 

to possess it and to punish me for his disap- 
pointment at finding no tobacco in my house, 
finally said that I was not to be trusted with 
such a weapon, and that he would carry it 
away. 

T first tried to argue with him that there 
could be no special danger incurred to the 
Union by my retaining possession of my cane, 
and that failing represented to him why I so 
highly valued it, but finding that what I 
said had no effect upon him and that he was 
bound to take away my cane, I changed my 
tune and told him that he had better clearly 
understand that I did not propose to let him 
retain possession of it, and that if he carried 
it off he would get himself into trouble. 

His only answer was a derisive laugh, and 
an intimation that as T was a rebel he 
could do with my property i)retty much as 
he pleased, and he and his men mounted 
their horses and rode away. 

I had in Knoxville a friend on whose as- 
sistance I could rely, and who had sufficient 
infiuence to secure attention from the Federal 
authorities. I wrote to him a succint account 
of the whole affair, and asked him to find 
out if Captain Gale had acted upon authority, 
or if he was doing business on his own ac- 



108 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

count, and also try and ascertain if we rebels, 
who remained peaceably at home, had any 
rights left that Federal soldiers were bound 
to respect. 

This letter had the desired effect. My friend 
went to the officer in command in Knoxville, 
and gave him my letter to read, vouching 
for my character and reliability. It seems 
that reports of Captain Gale's depredations 
at other farms had already reached him, but 
he had not been able to ascertain his name 
or to what regiment he belonged. As my let- 
ter furnished the needed information, he gave 
orders at once to the Provost Marshall to 
have him arrested and held for trial. 

In pursuance of this order, my friend rode 
up to my house the next day, a little before 
sun down, in company of an officer whom 
he introduced as the Captain of the military 
police of Knoxville, and requested me to go 
with them and identify the accused officer. 
As I had no horse, I got up behind my friend, 
and we rode to the camp where I knew Cap- 
tain Gale was to be found. It was a camp 
of Tennessee cavalry, made up of men who 
had been Union refugees, and had returned 
home when the Federals took possession of 
East Tennessee: a class of men who were 



A WAR EPISODE. IQO 

naturally very bitter and abusive against the 
rebels,' and prone if they thought themselves 
insulted, to take their vengeance into their 
own hands. 

It was nearly dusk when we reached the 
camp, which being in a piece of woodland 
bordering on the creek, was already in semi- 
obscurity. The men were all busy building 
their camp fires and feeding their horses. 

We inquired after Captain Gale and found 
him without diflBculty. When he presented 
himself, the Police Captain asked me if that 
was the man who had visited my house the 
day before, and upon my affirmative answer 
turned and said to him: "Captain Gale, con- 
sider yourself under arrest and report to the 
Provost Marshall office in Knoxville to-mor- 
row morning at nine o'clock". 

At first -Captain Gale looked dazed, as if 
he did not clearly understand what had hap- 
pened to him, but when he realized that I 
had reported him, and that he had been put 
under arrest^ his rage against me knew no 
bounds. That he, a Federal officer, should 
be arrested upon the denunciation of a rebel, 
was something v^ hich passed his comprehen- 
sion. 

But his anger took an unexpected and prac- 



110 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

tical form which might have resulted disas- 
trously for me. He launched at once and 
effectually in a passionate appeal to the sol- 
diers around him, denouncing me and urging 
them to revenge. At the sound of his loud 
and excited voice, soldiers came running 
toward us from all parts of the camp, and I 
soon found myself the center of a mob of 
armed men, with Captain Gale pointing at 
me and using all the power of his eloquence 
to arouse them to acts of violence. 

My friend and myself soon took in 'the 
unexpected danger of the situation, and that 
my only chance of safety lay in flight. Hap- 
pily for us the Police officer stood between 
us and Captain Gale, and as the horses had 
just been fed none of the men were mounted; 
nor had the soldiers yet had time to clearly 
understand the drift of the situation, and 
could at first only make out that an alterca- 
tion was going on. Besides, the Police officer 
who was trying to stop the torrent of words 
which was issuing from Captain Gale's lips, 
was in full uniform, which always commands 
the respect of the soldiers. 

Taking advantage of a moment when the 
attention of the fast increasing crowd was 
directed toward the Police officer by his 



A WAR EPISODE. m 

efforts to stop the tumult, my friend slowly 
and cautiously backed his horse free from 
the gathering throng, and when clear of the 
crowd turned him quickly around, and put 
him at a sharp gallop which very soon 
carried us out of sight and out of the camp. 
About a thousand yards off were some dense 
pine thickets with which I was well acquain- 
ted, and once there, thanking my friend and 
telling him I felt safe in the darkness and 
knew I could elude all pursuit, I dismounted 
and safely made my t. ay home. 

My friend returned to the camp, and found 
that during his absence things had come to 
a crisis. Captain Gale, as soon as he found 
that 1 was gone, had wanted to start with 
his men in pursuit, but the Police officer, 
drawing his pistol, had threatened to shoot 
him down if he moved a step. Finding him- 
self overmatched, and the soldiers unwilling 
to support him against one in authorit3^ he 
had submitted and promised to remain in 
camp that night, and report in Knoxville the 
next morning. 

The next day, when he reported himself, 
he was held for trial, and 1 was summoned 
as a witness, but there was some delay, and 
Longstreet's advance followed by the siege 



112 EAST TENNESSEE SKETCHES. 

of Knoxville, and battles and important mi- 
litary movements around the city, threw all 
such things in the back ground, and so far 
as I know he never was tried, nor did I ever 
hear what became of him. 

But the cane was handed to my friend by 
the Police officer who had taken possession 
of it the night of the arrest, and it finally 
came back into my hands, and I still keep 
it, not only for the memories with which it 
was originally connected, but as a memento 
of one of the numerous episodes of the war. 



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1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive ^ 

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(724)779-2111 









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